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Sciences 
Corporation 


33  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  145*0 

(716)  S72-4S03 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/iCIVlH 
Collection  de 
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Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  iMicroreproductions  /  institut  Canadian  da  microraproductions  historiquas 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  iti  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
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D 


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Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pelliculie 


□      ages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  pellicul6es 


□    Cover  title  missing/ 
Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


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I      I    Coloured  maps/ 


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D 


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Pages  d^tachdes 


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Showthrough/ 
Transparence 


I      I    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


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Bound  with  other  material/ 
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D 
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Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  matdriel  supplementaire 


D 


D 


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La  reliure  serr^e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
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obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


D 


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Commentaires  suppldmentaires: 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmd  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqui  ci-dessous. 

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to  tha  gonarosity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
possibia  considaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  itaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacif ications. 


Original  copias  in  printad  papar  covars  ara  filmad 
baginning  with  tha  Jront  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impras- 
sion.  or  tha  bacic  covar  wh«n  appropriata.  All 
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first  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impras- 
sion,  and  anding  on  tha  last  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illustratad  imprassion. 


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shall  contain  tha  symbol  — i»>  (meaning  "CON- 
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entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required,  ^he  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


1 

2 

3 

L'axamplaira  film*  fut  raproduit  grAce  A  la 
ginArositi  da: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

Las  imagas  suivantas  ont  AtA  raproduites  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattetA  da  raxamplaira  film*,  at  en 
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filmaga. 

Les  exemplairas  originaux  dont  la  couvarture  en 
papier  est  imprimAa  sont  filmte  en  commen^ant 
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darnlAre  paga  qui  comporta  una  ampreinte 
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filmAs  A  des  taux  de  rAduction  diffArents. 
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ARCTIC  EOVING;: 


OB,  TBX 


ADYENTUEES  OF  A  NEW  BEDFOED  BOY 


ON  SEA  AND  LAND. 


BY 


DANIEL  WESTON  HALL. 


\ 


BO  S  T  O  N  : 
PUBLISHED    BY  ABEL  TOMPKINS, 

38  &  40  Cornhill. 
1861. 


"m 


Katored  accordinj^  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1800,  by 

ABEL  TOMPKINS, 
In  the  Clerk's  OflQoe  of  the  Diatrict  Court  of  Massachusetts. 


Printed  by 

BAZIN  AND  CHANDLBB, 

37  Oornhill 


♦ 


TO 


B  Snr  latter, 

WHOSE  UNTIEINQ  BXEIITIONS  IN  MY  BEHALV 
ENABLED    ME 

TO    ESCAPE   FROM    A  SIBERIAN    DESERT, 

AND 
RETURN  TO  MY  FRIENDS, 

C:ijts  Book  is  ©cKicatcii, 

AS 

A  SLIGHT  TOIOJN  OF  LOVE  AND  OEATITUDB, 

BT  HIS  AFFECTIONATE  SON, 

THE  AUTHOB. 


\ 


JRl  O  fi 


PREFACE. 


In  submitting  this  little  work  to  public  perusal,  I 
desire  that  my  motives  for  its  publication  should  be 
clearly  understood  at  the  outset ;  and  I  hope,  by  an 
honest  confession  of  my  inability  to  do  ray  subject  jus- 
tice, at  least  in  a  literary  point  of  view,  to  disarm  criti- 
cism, and  enlist  the  sympathies  of  the  public  in  my 
behalf. 

If  the  kind  reader  will  but  remember  that  I  left  my 
schcol  at  the  early  age  of  fifteen  years,  and  that  the 
four  years  intervening  between  that  time  and  the  pres- 
ent, have  been  spent  among  the  doubtful  associations 
of  a  whaleship's  forecastle,  and  in  the  wilds  of  Siberia, 
he  will  readily  overlook  the  many  imperfections,  which, 
doubtless,  exist,  both  in  the  aiTangement  of  this  little 
volume,  and  the  treatment  of  my  subject. 

I  have  no  expectation  that  the  publication  of  this 
work  will  secure  for  me  the  smallest  degree  of  distinc- 
tion in  the  world  of  letters ;  I  have  no  ambition  to  be 
considered  a  hero,  or  a  prodigy  of  youthful  courage 
and  endurance ;  but  I  think  tbat  a  narrative  of  my 


\. 


"  1 


VI 


PREFACE. 


advcnturos  by  pea  and  land,  during  a  four  years* 
abflcnco  from  home,  will  be  read  with  pleasure  by  my 
personal  friends,  and  with  interest  by  many  strangers ; 
particularly  by  all  yoimg  men  of  my  own  age  who  have 
either  been  to  sea,  or  who  intend,  at  some  future  time, 
to  join  the  numbers  of  those  who  "  go  down  to  the  sea 
in  ships.'* 

I  am  not  without  hope  that  the  plain  statement  of 
fiicta  in  regard  to  the  severe  discipline  sometimes  exor- 
cised on  shipboard,  contained  ui  these  pages,  may  have 
the  efTect  to  open  the  eyes  of  the  pablic  to  the  condi- 
tion of  seamen  in  the  whaling  fleet,  and  the  necessity 
for  stringent  laws  to  protect  them  from  the  abuse  and 
maltreatment  of  then*  superiors.  In  this  manner  I 
hope  to  be  an  humble  instrument  to  bring  about  a  great 
and  much  needed  reform. 

This  motive,  and  the  desire  to  offer  some  testimonial 
of  gratitude  to  a  kind  and  affectionate  parent,  have  chiefly 
in£uenced  me  to  the  publication  of  this  work.  If  its 
perusal  shall  afford  pleasure  to  the  reader,  and,  in  the 
smallest  dcgroo,  effect  the  ends  to  which  I  have  alluded, 
I  shall  feel  that  mv  sufferings  on  shipboard,  and  subse- 
quently in  tho  midst  of  an  Arctic  wilderness,  have  not 
been  in  vain. 

Daniel  Weston  Hall. 


I 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
Going  TO  Ska 9 

CHAPTER  n. 
Peep  at  tue  Wuale  Fisheries 526 

CHAPTER  III. 
Life  on  the  Ocean  Wate % 43 

CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Escape 59 

CHAPTER  V. 
A  Parent's  Distress 75 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Journey  in  thu;  Arctic  Wilderness 81 

CHAPTER  VII. 
A  Winter  Home  in  Siberia 96 


viii  CONTENTS. 

CHA.PTER  VIII. 
Abctic  Rovinqs  and  Adventures 112 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Thb  Rescue j28 

CHAPTER  X. 
Conclusion— Homeward  Bound 140 

APPENDIX. 

CoEEESPONDENCE <gg 


i 


ARCTIC    ROVINGS. 


-•-♦•- 


CHAPTER  I. 


GOING    TO    SEA. 


Birth  and  Parentage  —  Early  Education — Desire  to  go  to  Sea- 
Outward  bound  on  a  tiiree  years  Whaling  Cruise—  Incidents  of 
the  passage. 

Among  the  numerous  obstacles  which  in 
every  direction,  surround  the  author  who 
writes  of  himself  and  his  personal  adventures 
—  obstacles  well  calculated  to  daunt  his  spirit 
and  impede  his  progress  —  the  necessity  for 
the  frequent  use  of  the  pronoun  /,  is,  perhaps, 
the  most  formidable. 

I  am  well  aware  that  this  difficulty  was,  in 
ancient  times,  successfully  obviated  by  one 
Julius  Caisar,  who  made  use  of  the  third  per- 
son singular  to  designate  himself  in  his  cele- 
brated Commentaries ;  but  as  this  mode  of 
expression  seems  to  savor  somewhat  of  affecta- 


1^^^"' 


\ 


10 


ARCTIC    KOVINGS, 


tion,  I  shall  therefore  rather  choose  the  less  of 
two  evils,  and,  at  the  risk  of  being  charged 
with  egotism,  shall  employ  the  simplest  possi- 
ble terms  in  relating  my  "  plain,  unvarnished 
tale." 

I  was  born  on  the  11th  of  August,  1841,  in 
the  town  of  North  Bridgewater,  a  beautiful 
country  village  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  Old 
Bay  State.  My  parents  were  William  and 
Eliza  Ann  Hall ;  the  former  being  a  native  of 
Duxbury,  and  the  latter  of  Stoughton.  Their 
family  consisted  of  three  daughters,  and  one 
son  beside  myself,  whose  names  were,  respec- 
tively, Adrianna  Elnora,  Cordelia  Porter,  Clara 
Francis,  and  William  Murray. 

Shortly  after  my  birth,  my  father  removed 
to  New  Bedford,  w^here,  for  eighteen  years,  he 
pursued  a  successful  mercantile  career  upon 
Union  street ;  and  where,  in  the  midst  of  a 
happy  home  circle,  beneath  the  fostering  care 
of  kind  and  affectionate  parents,  were  spent 
the  years  of  my  childhood. 

At  the  usual  age,  I  entered  one  of  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  New  Bedford,  in  which  I  remain- 
ed a  pupil,  until,  having  qualified  myself  for 
admission  to  a  High  School,  I  was  sent  to  an 
institution  of  that  character,  upon  one  of  the 


i  !-^ 


BY   SEA  AND   LAND. 


11 


filizaboth  Islands,  more  generally  known  as 
Martha's  Vineyard.  Here  were  spent  some  of 
the  happiest  days  of  my  life  ;  but,  at  the  expi- 
ration of  one  year,  our  Principal,  Mr.  Magoni- 
gal,  having  moved  away,  I  was  transferred  to 
a  boardinsc-school  in  the  town  of  South  Yar- 
mouth. 

In  this  place  my  love  for  boating  and  other 
aquatic  sports,  began  to  manifest  itself  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  call  forth  the  wonder  and  admi- 
ration of  the  entire  community.  I  frequently 
bathed  in  company  with  my  school-fellows,  andj 
upon  such  occasions,  many  of  the  town's  people 
would  collect  upon  the  shore,  to  witness  the 
skill  and  fearlessness  which  I  displayed  while 
sporting  in  the  surf. 

Even  at  this  early  age,  I  could  swim  faster, 
dive  deeper,  and  remain  under  water  longer 
than  any  of  my  fellows  ;  and  it  was  an  oft  re- 
peated remark,  that  "  young  Hall  was  a  genu- 
ine web-foot,  and  born  to  be  a  sailor." 

Such  words  as  these  tended  only  to  fan  the 
passion  for  the  sea,  which  had  long  burned  in 
my  bosom,  into  a  fiercer  flame  ;  and,  long  ere 
my  school  days  were  over,  I  had  fimdy  re- 
solved that  I  would  become  a  sailor !  My 
fondest  hope  for  the  future,  was  that  I  might 


12 


ARCTIC    ROVING  S 


one  day  command  a  ship ;  and  it  seemed  to  me, 

that  the  summit  of  earthly  felicity  would  be 

attained,  when  once  I  should  find  myself  roll- 
ing over  the  billows  in  my  own  vessel  — 

•*  With  a  flowinp:  sheet,  and  a  heaving  sea, 
And  a  wind  tliat  follows  fust." 

I  remained  at  South  Yarmouth  for  one  year, 
when  I  returned  to  my  father's  hou6e,  to  find 
there  a  bereaved  and  sorrowing  family ;  for  my 
mother  had  left  this  vale  of  tears,  for  a  briccht- 
er  and  better  world  above,  during  my  last  ab- 
sence from  home. 

Shortly  after  my  return,  my  father  procured 
for  me  a  situation  in  a  rtore  ;  but  my  restless 
spirit  lon<:^ed  for  something  more  exciting  than 
the  dull  details  of  business,  and  after  followinor 
the  monotonous  routine  of  mercantile  life  for  a 
few  months,  I  ventured  to  express  Hie  darling 
wish  of  mv  heart,  and  be«;2jed  of  my  father  to 
send  me  to  sea.  After  some  opposition  he  con- 
sented ;  for  it  had  ever  been  his  greatest  de- 
light to  gratify  the  wislies  of  his  children,  so 
far  as  seemed  to  him  consistent  with  their  best 
moral  and  physical  welfare. 

As  my  brother,  William  Murray,  had  pre- 
viously entered  the  merchant  service,  and  wae 


BY    SEA    AND  LAND. 


13 


f 


then  at  sea  in  the  ship  Crystal  Palace,  I  decid- 
ed to  cnil.ai'k  in  a  whaler,  lioping  to  advance 
more  ra})idly  tlum  he  had  done.  Accordingly, 
my  father  went  with  me  to  tlie  counting-room 
of  Wm.  G.  E.  Pope,  Esq.,  wlio  Avas  then  agent 
for  the  ship  Condor,  where,  after  the  necessary 
preliminaries  had  been  settled,  I  signed  the 
shipping  paj)ers  for  a  three  years  voyage  as 
foremast  liand. 

1  proceeded  immediately  to  procure  the  ne- 
cessary outfit ;  and,  at  the  ex[)iration  of  a  week, 
m.y  '*  donkey  "  and  clothes-bag,  together  with 
mattress  and  beddinjr,  were  stowed  in  the  fore- 
castle  of  the  Condor,  which  was  then  nearly 
ready  for  sea.  Her  commander  I  found  to  be 
Samuel  II.  Whiteside,  who  had  ^ever  before 
sailed  as  master. 

The  ship  carried  four  mates,  four  boat  steer- 
ers,  a  cook,  steward,  and  twenty-three  foremast 
hands,  including  myself,  making  in  all  thirty- 
three. 

On  the  morning  of  the  seventh  of  August, 
eighteen  hundred  and  fifty-six,  the  w  eather  be- 
ing pleasant,  and  the  wind  fair,  a  pilot  was  sent 
on  board  the  Condor,  which  was  then  lying  in 
the  stream,  and  the  necessary  preparations 
were  soon  made  for  getting  under  weigh.     In 


n 


14 


ARCTIC    EOTTNGS, 


obedience  to  the  pilot's  first  command,  the 
crew,  with  long  and  steady  strokes,  began  to 
heave  in  the  slack  of  the  chain  cable.  The  an- 
chor was  soon  "  under  foot ; ''  when  with  "  a 
long  pull,  a  strong  pull,  and  a  pull  altogether,*' 
upon  the  windlass  brakes,  and  much  noise  on 
the  part  of  the  crew,  it  broke  ground,  and  was 
soon  hanfjinor  at  the  cat-head. 

The  moment  had  now  arrived  when  the 
friends  who  had  come  to  bid  us  farewell  must 
return  to  the  shore.  The  last  "  good-byes  " 
were  hastily  spoken,  and  with  many  a  warm 
grasp  of  the  hand,  and  many  a  sincere  wish  for 
our  prosperity  during  the  voyage,  and  a  safe 
return  to  our  native  land,  our  friends  departed ; 
while  those  of  us  who  were  now  commencing 
our  first  voyage,  resumed  our  labors  with  sad- 
dened hearts  and  tearful  eyes. 

The  yard-arms  of  the  top-sails  having  been 
previously  loosed,  the  order  was  now  given  to 
"  let  fall  the  bunts,  and  sheet  home  the  top- 
sails fore  and  aft!"  All  was  now  bustle  and 
confusion  on  board,  and  the  "  gret  :  hands,"  in 
their  zeal  to  render  assistance,  succeeded  in  get- 
ting in  everybody's  way,  and  eliciting  the  most 
fearful  curses  on  their  unfortunate  heads.  The 
sheets  of  the  top-sails  were  soon  hauled  home, 


►>■■ 


■m^- 


BY    SEA    AND    LAND. 


15 


the  jibs  and  stay-sails  hoisted,  and  the  yards 
properly  trimmed.  A  man  had  been  already 
tent  to  the  wheel ;  and,  as  the  Condor  stood  out 
of  the  bay  before  the  favoring  breeze,  the  top- 
gallant-sails were  set,  the  fore-sail,  main-sail, 
and  cross-jack  were  flung  to  the  breeze  ;  while, 
with  each  addition  of  canvas,  the  speed  of  the 
ship  rapidly  increased,  and  very  soon  the  last 
familiar  objects  on  the  shore,  so  dear  to  our 
hearts,  had  faded  into  "  airy  nothingness,'*  in 
the  dim  distance  astern. 

And  when  the  pilot,  whom  some  one  has 
aptly  called  the  "  connecting  link  between  sea 
and  shore,"  departed  from  the  ship,  then,  for 
the  first  time  in  my  life,  I  experienced  the  sen- 
sation of  genuine,  perfect  home-sickness.  The 
pilot  had  scarcely  left  us,  however,  when  the 
wind  commenced  hauling  gradually  ahead,  in- 
creasing rapidly,  meanwhile,  until  it  became 
necessary  to  uouble-reef  the  top-sails  ;  and  the 
excitement  attending  the  operation  of  shorten- 
ing sail,  together  with  the  novelty  and  gran- 
deur of  the  scene,  had  the  immediate  ciFect  to 
arouse  me  to  a  sense  of  present  duty,  and  to 
dissipate,  for  the  time,  the  gloomy  thoughts 
upon  which  my  mind  had  begun  to  dwell. 

The  royals  and  top-gallant-sails  having  been 


*■*♦/ 


16 


ARCTIC    ROVTXGS, 


clewed  up  and  furled,  the  top-Fail  halyards 
were  let  go  by  the  rim,  and  the  yards  clewed 
down  upon  the  caps  ;  the  rocl-tacklcs  were  then 
hauled  out,  and  the  order  <>;iven  to  '\junip  aloft, 
and  clap  a  double-reef  in  the  tore  and  main  top- 
sails !  "  I  mechanically  followed  the  crowd  of 
men  who  were  running  up  the  main  rigging, 
and  with  some  difficulty  succeeded  in  getting 
upon  the  top-sail  yard  ;  but  I  am  fearful  that  I 
ren<lered  little  assistance  during  the  operation 
of  reefmg. 

The  cries  and  responses  from  different  parts 
of  the  yard  of  ^' All  fast  to  wind'ard  ;"  "haul 
to  leeward  ;*'  and,  "  knot  away ;"  were,  of 
course,  unintelligible  to  me  :  and  all  that  I 
could  do,  was  simply  to  watch  the  operations  of 
my  shipmates,  and  endeavor  to  learn  in  this 
manner  the  proper  method  of  reefing  top-sails. 

A  high  sea  was  now  running :  and  I  had 
scarcely  left  the  yard,  when  I  began  to  feel  the 
premonitory  symptoms  of  sea-sickness.  By  the 
time  I  reached  the  deck,  a  deathly  faintness 
had  come  upon  me  ;  and  I  began  to  experience 
a  strong  desire  to  "  cast  up  "  accounts  with  old 
Neptune  ;  but  I  was  determined  not  to  yield  to 
the  malady  until  compelled  to  do  so,  and,  ac- 
cording \%  continued  to  render  what  assistance 
I  could  to  my  shipmates. 


:M 


^'» 


I 


BY    SEA    AND   LAND. 


17 


The  fore  and  main  top-sails  had  been  reefed 
simultaneoufcJj,  and  those  wlio  first  descended 
to  the  deck  proceeded  immediately  to  reef  the 
mizzcri  ;  which,  being  accomplished,  all  hands 
"  tailed  out "  upon  each  of  the  top-sail  hal- 
yards in  succession,  and  to  the  music  of  a  lively 
sea-song,  the  yards  were  quickly  mast-headed. 

Every  thin<]j  beino;  thus  made  secure  alow 
and  aloft,  the  crew  were  divided  into  two 
watches,  called  respectively,  the  starboard,  and 
the  port  or  larboard  ;  the  latter,  in  which  I  had 
been  chosen,  being  allowed  to  go  below  imme- 
diately, while  the  starboard  watch  was  left  in 
charge  of  the  deck. 

I  was  thus  relieved  from  duty  for  the  space 
of  four  hours,  and  w^ith  trembling  limbs, — for 
the  relentless  malady  of  the  sea  had  already 
commenced  its  debilitating  eftccts  upon  my 
system, — T  proceeded  to  the  forecastle.  At  this 
moment,  while  sea-sick,  home-sick,  and  sick  at 
heart,  I  suddenly  remembered  that  my  father 
had  placed  a  letter  in  my  chest  ai  short  time 
previous  to  the  sailing  of  the  ship,  charging  me 
not  to  open  it  until  out  of  sight  of  land.     This 


1 


etter  1  now 
havinn  thrown 


took  from  the  till  of  my  chest,  and 
myself  into  my  berth,  proceeded 


18 


ARCTIC   ROVINGS, 


1 


to  read  the  following  words,  wlilrh  Fcemed,  In- 
deed, like  "  balm  to  the  wounded  spirit  "  : 

Dear  Son  Daniel, — When  you  peruse 
these  lines,  you  will,  doubtless,  be  far  from 
home  and  iriends,  upon  the  bosfmi  of  the  great 
deep.  Your  heart  will  be  sad,  no  doubt, 
in  view  of  the  trials  and  privations  which 
await  you  during  your  long  absence  from  your 
native  land  ;  but  you  nmst  remember  that  you 
have  kind  friends  at  home  who  will  never  for- 
get you,  and  who  will  give  you  a  joylul  greet- 
ing upon  your  return. 

I  love  vou  with  a  father's  love,  and  it  will 
make  my  heart  leap  for  joy  to  see  you  become 
an  honest  and  respected  man.  I  may  never  see 
you  again,  and  if  so,  let  my  last  charge  to  you 
be  as  follows : 

Be  honest  in  all  your  dealings;  be  faithful 
and  diligent  in  the  performance  of  your  duties ; 
be  just  and  kind  to  your  associates,  and  strive 
in  ail  cases,  to  do  to  others  as  you  would  be 
done  by, — for  this  is  the  golden  rule,  and  the 
foundation  of  all  morality. 

When  called  to  perform  duty  on  shipboard, 
be  prompt  to  obey ;  you  will  thus  gain  the  re- 
spect of  your  superiors,  and  insure  yourself 
kindly  treatment  from  them.  Try  to  regard 
your  fellow-seamen  as  brothers,  and  to  treat 
them  accordingly  ;  and  if  you  should  find  any 
who  seem  at  first  insensible  to  the  power  of 
kindness,  do  not  render  evil  for  evil,  but  rather 


^m 


.  ir'31 


BY    SEA    AND    LAND. 


19 


seek  to  overcome  evil  with  good  ;  you  will  find 
in  the  end  that  kindness  is  an  investment  that 
never  fails  to  pay. 

Think  of  your  dear  mother  as  you  remember 
her  on  earth;  think  of  her  now  as  an  angel  in 
heaven.  Perhaps  yhe  is  permitted  to  watch 
over  vou  in  all  your  wanderinijs,  —  and  this 
thought  will  be  to  you  an  incentive  to  do  right, 
as  well  as  a  consolati(m  in  the  hour  or"  trouble, 
and  distresvS.  Think  of  your  father,  your 
brother,  your  sisters,  and  all  your  friends  on 
shore  ;  wherever  you  may  roam,  my  dear  son, 
or  whatever  may  be  vour  lot  in  life,  "ilemcm- 
ber  the  li<>"ht  of  home." 

Pray  to  God,  daily,  to  protect  and  sustain 
you  through  all  your  vicissitudes  and  under  all 
circumstances  ;  feeling  assured  that  if  you  put 
your  trust  in  Him  he  will  never  leave  you  nor 
forsake  vou. 

Be  careful  of  your  clothing,  and  keep  it  neat- 
ly repaired.  This  will  add  greatly  to  your 
comfort  Oil  shipboard,  while  the  habits  of  neat- 
ness and  order  thus  formed  will  be  of  lasting 
value  to  you. 

May  lie  who  "  holds  the  waters  in  the  hol- 
low of  his  hand,"  bless  you  and  keep  you  in 
safety  during  your  voyage  ;  may  He  grant  you 
health,  happiness  and  prosperity,  is  the  con- 
stant prayer  of 

Your  affectionate  father, 

William  Hall. 
New  Bedford^  Auy.  5,  1856. 


s 


20 


ARCTIC   U0VING9, 


? 


At  the  risk  of  })clng^  considered  weak  and 
chihiiHli  even,  I  must  confess  tlisit  I  perused 
this  letter  with  tearful  eyes.  I  read  and  re- 
read it  many  times,  and  then,  replacing  it  ^'are- 
fully  in  the  till  of  my  chest,  fell  hjick  in  ujy 
bunk,  overpowered  by  the  combined  elfect  of 
home-sickness  and  physical  weakness. 

But  I  will  not  bore  the  reader  with  a  de- 
scription of  my  painful  initiation  to  an  ocean 
life  ;  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  for  the  twenty- 
four  hours  following,  I  suffered  more  real  mis- 
ery than  a  landsman  can  well  conceive  of. 

On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  out,  how- 
ever, I  turned  out  at  "  seven  bells,"  with  a 
good  appetite  for  breakfast,  and  after  partak- 
ing of  a  hearty  meal  of  salt  junk  and  hard  bis- 
cuit, accompanied  with  the  usual  allowance  of 
"  hot,  wet  and  dirty,"  (a  sailor's  name  for  cof- 
fee), I  began  to  feel  that  "  Richard  was  himself 


agnin. 


>> 


Up  to  this  time  we  had  been  beating  out  to 
sea  under  double-reefed  top-sails,  but  shortly 
after  breakfast  the  wind  suddenly  veered  to  a 
more  favorable  quarter,  and  the  order  was  im- 
mediately given  to  "  brace  in  the  yards  I  " 
The  reefs  were  then  shake^i  out  of  the  top-sails, 
the  top-gallant-sails  loosed  and  sheeted  home, 


BY    SEA    AVD    r.VXD. 


21 


and  the  main  and  niizzen  courpos  brono-lit  down 
to  their  phiccs.  The  jibs  and  sstay-sails  were 
hoisted,  and,  by  four  bell.s  of  the  t'orenoun 
^vatch,  the  Condor  was  careening  over  the  bil- 
lows, at  tlie  rate  often  knots  an  hour,  with  the 
wind  on  her  quarter,  and  every  stitch  of  her 
canvas  distended  to  the  breeze. 

The  operation  of  making  sail  had  scarcely 
been  conipljtcd,  when  the  thrilling  cry  of 
"  A  man  overboard !  "  resounded  along  the 
decks. 

A  scene  of  great  confusion  immediately  en- 
sued ;  a  portion  of  the  crew  crowded  to  the 
rail  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  their  missing  ship- 
mate ;  others  sprang  to  the  boats,  and  others 
yet  hastened  to  the  braces,  in  obedience  to  the 
proper  commands  for  bringing  the  sliip  to  the 
wind. 

The  main  top-sail  was  promptly  laid  back, 
and  as  soon  as  the  ship  became  stationary,  the 
quarter-boat  was  manned  and  lowered  into  the 
water.  The  missing  man  proved  to  be  a  green 
hand  by  the  name  of  Knights,  who  had  fallen 
from  the  lee-main-chains  while  attempting  to 
reef  the  main-sheet.  He  could  not  swim,  but, 
for  some  minutes,  succeeded  in  keeping  his  head 
above  water.     Before  the  boat  had  been  lower- 


'^ 


22 


ARCTIC   ROVIXGS, 


u 


ed,  however,  he  had  sunk  twl<^e,  and  would 
probably  have  drowned  before  assistance  could 
bave  reached  him,  had  not  a  man  by  the  name 
^f  Hathaway  leaped  overboard  and  swam  to 
liis  rescue. 

He  succeeded  in  reaching  the  drowning  man 
just  as  he  was  upon  the  point  of  sinking  for  the 
third  and  last  time.  With  some  difficulty  he 
kept  the  head  of  his  unfortunate  shipmate 
above  water  until  the  arrival  of  the  boat,  when 
both  were  taken  on  board,  amid  the  joyful 
shouts  of  the  boat's  crew,  and  the  responsive 
cheers  of  their  shipmates  on  board  the  Condor. 

The  boat  immediately  returned  to  the  ship, 
where  the  proper  means  were  used  to  restore 
young  Knights  to  animation.  In  a  few  min- 
utes he  began  to  show  signs  of  life,  and,  by  the 
time  the  ship  had  been  filled  upon  her  course 
again,  was  able  to  return  to  his  duty. 

For  several  days  following,  no  incident  of 
importance  occurred  to  relieve  the  monotony 
of  sea  life.  We  pursued  our  onward  w^ay  for 
the  Azo^'cs  or  Western  Islands,  whither  we 
had  shaped  our  course  from  the  commencement 
of  the  passage,  and  by  the  morning  of  the  fifth 
day  out,  had  crossed  the  Gulf  Stream. 

During  the  first  watch  on  this  morning,   the 


BY    SEA    AND    LAND. 


23 


crew  were  suddenly  startled  by  a  succession  of 
groans  and  shrill  cries  of  distress  which  evi- 
dently proeceded  from  some  human  being  in 
mortal  ai^onv.  It  was  soon  ascertained  that 
the  sounds  proceeded  from  the  lower  hold,  and, 
a  lantern  having  been  procured,  several  men 
hastily  descended  the  main  hatchway,  where  a 
ghastly  and  heart-rending  spectacle  awaited 
them. 

Guided  by  the  cries  of  distress  which  still 
continued,  and  aided  by  the  faint  rays  of  the 
lantern,  they  soon  discovered  the  body  of  Mr, 
Galon,  the  cooper  of  the  ship,  who  lay  upon 
the  barrels  wdiich  formed  the  ground  tier  of 
the  hold,  weltering  in  his  own  blood,  and  evi- 
dently in  the    agonies  of  death. 

It  appeared  that  while  laboring  under  the 
influence  of  that  terrible  species  of  insanity 
known  as  delirium  tremens^  he  had  procured  a 
razor  from  his  chest,  and,  descending  to  the 
hold,  had  there  <"-ommitted  suicide,  by  cutting  his 
throat  from  ear  to  ear.  When  found,  he  wa^ 
beyond  the  reach  of  human  aid,  and  his  earthly 
existence  terminated  in  le?s  than  an  hour  after 
the  performance  of  the  rash  and  terrible  act. 

The  captain  immediately  ordered  that  the 
body  of  the  unfortunate  man  should  be    sewed 


24 


ARCTIC  ROVINGS, 


i  '■ 


ixx  a  canvas  shroud,  with  a  few  cannon  balls  to 
give  it  weight,  which,  being  accomplished,  he 
directed  that  it  should  be  thrown  overboard 
without  farther  delay.  This  mournful  duty- 
was  performed  without  form  or  ceremony,  ac- 
companied only  with  the  remark  on  the  part  of 
the  captain,  that,  "  In  this  case,  you  see  the  re- 
sult of  dissipation  I  " 

A  long  period  of  ftivorable  wind  and  weather 
followed,  during  which  nothing  transpired  of 
particular  interest  to  the  reader.  On  the  20th 
of  September  we  arrived  off  the  Flores,  having 
seen  nothing  of  the  whale  species  as  yet,  but  a 
few  black  fish,  none  of  which,  however,  we  had 
succeeded  in  cnpturing. 

Having  procured  a  quantity  of  potatoes  and 
a  supply  of  water  at  the  Flores,  we  again  stood 
out  to  sea,  shaping  our  course  for  Fayal,  where 
we  arrived  in  due  season.  We  lay  off  and  on 
the  island  for  a  few  hours,  and  a  boat  was  sent 
ashore  with  letters  for  the  United  States.  I 
gladly  improved  this  opportunity  to  send  a  let- 
ter to  my  father,  informing  him  that  I  was  in 
good  health  and  spirits,  and  briefly  relating  my 
experience  of  sea  life  up  to  that  time. 

Upon  the  return  of  the  boat  it  was  discover- 
ed that  one  of  her  crew  had  deserted.     As  he 


i 


m. 


ij 


BY   SEA  AND   LAND. 


25 


had  probably  secreted  himself  in  some  inacces- 
sible part  of  the  island,  it  was  decided  that 
pursuit  would  be  useless,  and,  accordingly  we 
were  compelled  to  sail  without  him. 

After  leaving  Fayal,  few  incidents  occurred 
until  we  arrived  oiF  the  Horn ;  and,  although  a 
description  of  the  pasj^age  would,  doubtless  in- 
terest the  reader,  I  must  omit  unnecessary  de- 
tails, that  I  may  arrive  the  sooner  at  the  prop- 
er scene  of  my  narrative. 


-''■\ 


J 


CHAPTER  n. 


A   PEEP   AT   THE   WI:ALE   FISHERY. 


I 


I  H 


'f , 


Doubling  the  Horn  — Arrival  at  the  3an{]wich  Islands  — The  OTc- 
otslc  Sea  —  The  first  Whale  — Surrounded  by  ice-lioes— Sprung 
alcalc  — A  specimen  of  our  Captains  system  of  discipline— A 
successful  season  —  Return  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  —  A  squall. 

Upon  arriving  off  Cape  Horn,  we  encount- 
ered the  adverse  o^ales  and  stormv  weather 
common  to  that  tempestuous  locality.  The 
Condor  was  kept  for  several  days  under  close 
reefed  fore  and  main  top-sails,  reefed  spanker, 
and  fore-top-mast  stay-sail ;  and  on  more  than 
one  occasion,  was  hove  to  under  storm  stay- 
sails, or  the  lee  clews  of  the  main  top-sail. 
She  proved  herself,  however,  to  be  a  staunch 
and  sea-worthy  craft ;  and,  after  a  brief  delay, 
we  succeeded  in  "  doubling  the  Horn  "  with- 
out losing  a  single  spar,  or  parting  so  much  as 
a  rope-yarn. 

Having  fairly  weathered  the  cape,  we  stood 
well  to  the  westward  for  an  offing,  until  we 
had  given  the  land  a  wide  berth ;  when  we 


£6 


BY    SEA    A\D   LAND. 


27 


'1 


.-^ 


crowded  on  all  sail,  squared  the  yards,  and 
stood  up  for  the  coast  of  Chili. 

We  bowled  along  over  the  nzure  billows  of 
the  Pacific  in  magnificent  style ;  wind  and 
weather  favoring  us  to  a  remarkable  degree,  un- 
til we  had  sighted  the  Chilian  coast,  when  we 
shortened  sail  and  stood  in  shore  for  a  supply 
of  Avater. 

This  being  obtained,  we  stood  off  and  on  the 
cost  for  a  fortnight  under  easy  sail,  seeing  many 
whales,  but  capturing  none  of  them  in  conse- 
quence of  the  captain's  absence  on  board  other 
ships.  We  did,  indeed,  succeed  in  fastening 
to  one  whale,  which,  however,  unfortunately 
escaped,  to  the  great  disappointment  of  all 
hands. 

Towards  the  latter  part  of  December  we 
bade  farewell  to  the  coast  of  ChiH,  and  bore 
awav  for  the  Sandwich  Islands.  Durinsr  our 
passage  thither,  we  stopped  for  a  day  or  two 
at  Felix  Island  for  the  purpose  of  catching  fish, 
an  ample  supply  of  which  was  obtained  by  a 
single  day's  fishing. 

We  then  shaped  our  course  for  the  port  of 
Hilo,  in  the  Sandwich  islands,  where  we  arriv- 
ed on  the  5th  of  March,  1857,  and  lay  oflP  and 
on  for  two  weeks ;  supplying  the  ship  mean- 


''■•^<: 


!■>** 


28 


ARCTIC     ROVING  8, 


while,  with  water  and  fresh,  provisions.  Our 
next  port  was  Towehigh,  where  we  remained 
three  days,  and  obtained  a  supply  of  potatoes, 
after  whieh  we  sailed  for  Lihinia.  At  the 
latter  place  we  lay  oiF  and  on  the  coast  for  sev- 
eral days,  during  which  time  the  captain  was 
constantly  ashore,  while  his  officers  and  crew 
were  compelled  to  remain  on  board  ;  their  con- 
finement beinjT  rendered  the  more  irksome  from 
their  vicinity  to  the  land,  upon  which  they 
were  not  permitted  to  set  foot. 

After  leaving  Lihinia  we  shaped  our  course 
for  Honalulu,  where  we  remained  but  a  single 
day  ;  sailing  thence,  immediately,  for  Onehow, 
where  we  obtained  a  supply  of  yams,  sweet 
potatoes,  fowls  and  fresh  pork. 

Since  our  departure  from  the  coast  of  Chili, 
a  sharp  lookout  had  constantly  been  kept  for 
whales  ;  and  on  several  occasions,  the  welcome 
cry  of  "  There  she  blows  !  "  had  sent  a  thrill  of 
joy  to  our  hearts  ;  but,  notwithstandirg  we 
had  given  chase  to  many  of  the  "  blubbery 
monsters,"  we  had  not,  as  yet,  a  single  gallon 
of  oil  in  our  barrels. 

As  a  natural  consequence,  the  crew  began 
to  get  disheartened,  and  to  vent  their  ill-humor 
in  muttered  malediction   upon   the  "  unlucky 


BY    SEA   AND   LAND. 


29 


craft,"  into  which  they  had  been  inveigled, 
by  the  specious  promises  of  owners  and  captain. 
Many  of  the  older  sailors,  indeed,  declared 
that  they  had  always  considered  the  Condor 
an  ''  unlucky  ship,"  and  had,  from  the  firs^., 
predicted  ill-luck  and  disappointment  as  the 
certain  result  of  the  voyage.  In  justice  to  the 
crew,  however,  I  must  state  in  this  connection, 
that  our  want  of  success  in  catching  whales, 
was  not,  by  any  means,  the  only  cause  for  com- 
plaint in  the  Condor's  forecastle. 

From  the  commencement  of  the  voyage,  the 
discipline  of  the  ship  had  been  maintained  with 
a  degree  of  severity  altogether  uncalled  for, 
and,  in  my  opinion,  unjustifiable.  It  is  not  my 
present  intention,  however,  to  cast  reproach 
upon  any  one  on  board  the  Condor,  or  to  com- 
plain of  those  who  saw  fit  to  exercise  their 
"little  brief  authority  "  in  such  a  rigid  and  un- 
compromising manner ;  but,  I  shall,  in  the 
course  of  my  narrative,  describe  a  few  cases  of 
punishment  in  which  I  was,  myself,  particularly 
concerned.  In  doing  this,  I  shall  "  naught  ex- 
tenuate, nor  set  down  aught  in  malice  ;  "  and 
having  stated  facts  in  plain  terms,  I  shall  leave 
the  reader  to  judge  for  himself  in  regard  to  the 
treatment  received  by  the  crew  of  the  Condor, 


¥  "- 


V 


^^ 


30 


ARCTIC   ROVINGS, 


>■'!? 


i 


at  the  hands  of  the  commander  and  superior 
officers. 

From  Onehow  we  sailed  direct  for  the  north- 
west coast  of  the  Okotsk  Hea.  Nothinj:^  of 
special  interest  occurcd  on  our  passage,  which 
we  made  in  about  two  months  ;  arriving  at  the 
Bays  on  the  29th  of  May,  1857.  Not  finding 
any  whales,  however,  we  continued  our  course 
to  Jonas  Itland,  where  our  progress  was  con- 
siderably impeded  by  an  unusual  quantity  of 
floating  ice. 

We  cruised  in  this  locality  for  ten  days,  and 
during  this  time  the  cry  of  "  whale  !  "  was  fre- 
quently raised  ;  but  in  consequence  of  the  ice, 
all  pursuit  and  effort  to  capture  them  proved 
fruitless,  resulting  only  in  disappointment  and 
vexation. 

Meanwhile  the  ice  continued  to  collect  and 
increase  in  quantity,  until,  becoming  discourag- 
ed with  our  prospects  in  that  vicinity,  we 
stood  in  for  the  port  of  Ay  an, —  running  un- 
der short  sail,  in  consequence  of  the  dangerous 
navigation. 

After  making  land,  we  stood  along  the  coast 
for  the  "South-west  Bav."  We  arrived  at  the 
mouth  of  this  bay  on  the  5th  of  June,  but  were 
unable   to   enter   it  on  account  of  floating  ice, 


BY    SEA    AND    LAND. 


81 


and  were  compelled  to  f-tand  off  and  on  until  a 
change  of  wind  should  clear  away  the  ice,  and 
render  the  passage  practicable. 

On  the  7th  of  June,  whales  were  seen 
spouting  at  a  short  distance  to  windward,  and 
the  captain's  boat  immediately  went  in  pursuit 
of  them.  After  a  short  chase,  the  captain  suc- 
ceeded in  fastening  to  the  largest  of  the  whales, 
by  means  of  a  bomb  gun,  with  which  his  boat 
had  been  provided. 

To  the  surprise  and  delight  of  all  who  wit- 
nessed the  chase,  the  whale  was  soon  observed 
to  spout  blood.  The  mate's  boat  had  by  this 
time  arrived  at  the  scene  of  action,  and  was 
immediatelv  made  fast  to  the  hufje  mass  of 
inanimate  blubber.  A  third  boat  was  now 
dispatched  from  the  ship,  to  assist  in  towing 
the  whale  alons^sidc :  and,  in  less  than  two 
hours  after  the  first  cry  of  "  There  she  blows  !" 
had  been  given,  we  had  the  satisfaction  oi 
makinjj  the  carcase  fast  to  the  hull  of  the  Con- 
dor. 

It  is  needless  to  say,  that  the  best  of  humor 
now  prevailed  on  board.  We  had  been  absent 
from  home  ten  months  to  a  day,  and  this  was 
the  first  whale  that  we  had  succeeded  in  cap- 
turing.    This   circumstance   was   hailed   as  a 


82 


ARCTIC    R0VING9, 


favorable  omen ;  and  with  light  hearts,  we 
commenced  the  operation  of  "  cutting  in." 

All  was  now  bustle  and  activity  on  board  ; 
a  tackle  was  immediately  attached  to  the  star- 
board main-yard  arm,  by  means  of  which  the 
huge  *' blanket  pieces"  of  blubber  were  hoisted 
on  board,  as  fast  as  they  could  be  cut  from 
the  carcase  of  the  whale. 

These  pieces  were  rapidly  "  minced  "  with 
long  knives  and  thrust  into  the  "  try-pots,"  be- 
neath which  the  fires  had  already  been  kind- 
led. As  soon  as  the  operation  of  "trying 
out  "  had  fairly  commenced,  these  fires  were 
fed  with  the  "  scraps  "  or  refuse  part  of  the 
blubber. 

By  the  time  the  work  of  reducing  the  dead 
body  of  the  whale  to  oil,  was  in  full  blast,  the 
ship  had  become  enveloped  in  the  dense  black 
smoke  from  the  try-works  ;  the  greasy  faces  of 
the  crew  reflected  the  glow  of  the  flames,  un- 
til they  looked  like  so  many  devils  engaged 
in  some  diabolical  pastime  ;  and,  altogether,  a 
scene  was  presented  which  utterly  baffles  my 
feeble  powers  of  description,  and  must  be  left 
to  the  imagination  of  the  reader. 

The  labor  of  "  cutting  in  "  and  "  trying  out  '* 
occupied  a  whole  day ;  and  when  the  oil  had 


/ 


BY    Si: A    AND    LAND. 


33 


all  been  coojxn-ed,  it  was  ascertained  that 
this,  our  first  prize,  had  [)r()(luce(l  above  tliirty 
barrels.  These  were  si m wed  awav  in  the  hold 
before  nightfall ;  alter  wliich  we  held  an  im- 
j)roptu  eelebration  in  the  forecastle,  in  honor 
of  the  occasion,  of  which  singing,  dancing  and 
other  noisy  demonstrations  of  joy  formed  a 
prominent  part. 

At  daybreak  on  the  following  morning,  it  wa3 
discovered  that  the  ice  had  so  completely  sur- 
rounded the  ship  during  the  night,  as  to  ren- 
der our  position  one  of  considerable  danger. 
The  captain  being  informed  of  our  situation, 
immediately  commanded  that  sail  should  be 
made  without  delay,  for  the  purpose  of  work- 
ing the  ship  into  clear  water  if  possible. 

During  the  night  we  had  been  lying  to  for 
the  greater  part  of  the  time,  with  the  close 
reefed  main  top-sail  to  the  mast  and  the  ship's 
head  in  shore, — occasionally  filling  away,  how- 
ever, for  a  sufficient  length  of  time  to  keep  our 
offing  good.  In  obedience  to  the  captain's  or- 
ders, the  reefs  were  now  shaken  out  of  the  top- 
sails and  the  yards  promptly  mast-headed  ;  the 
top-gallant  sails,  courses  and  main  royal  were 
set,  and  the  helm  being  put  up,  we  stood  out 
toward  the  open   sea,  in   the   hope  of  finding 


84 


AUCTIC    ROVTNG3, 


I 


■ 


some  cliJinnel  tliroucrli  wliicli  to  escape  the  floes 
and  bergd  wliieli,  appiireutly  lieinmcd  us  in, 
ui)ou  every  Hide. 

We  were  compelled  to  bteer  the  nhip  with 
the  utmost  caution,  to  avoid  collision  with  tho 
ice  ;  and  all  hands  were  kept  at  the  braces,  in 
readiness  to  trim  the  sails  promptly  at  tlie  word 
of  command.  After  six  hours  of  this  dithcult 
and  danoerous  navi<>'ation,  durinj]^  which  time 
we  had  more  than  once  escaped  destruction  by 
a  hair's  breadth,  —  as  it  were  —  we  found  our- 
eelves,  as  we  supposed,  in  clear  water,  —  for 
no  ice  was  now  visible  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach. 

As  we  had  reached  a  place  of  comparative 
safety,  the  ship  ought  now  to  have  been  hove 
to  under  reefed  top-sails ;  this  was  not  done, 
however,  but  with  all  sail  set,  we  continued  up- 
on our  course  at  the  rate  of  nine  or  ten  knots 
an  hour.  While  running  in  this  manner,  with 
no  ice  visible  around  us,  a  severe  and  sudden 
shock  was  felt,  which  completely  checked  tho 
ship's  headway  and  threw  the  sails  aback,  while 
every  t'  her  of  the  hull  groaned  and  creaked 
from  the  c  "  ct  of  the  concussion  ;  and  those 
of  us  who  A..td  been  standing  on  deck,  were 
prostrated  as  instantly  as  if  by  a  thunderbolt 
from  the  clouds. 


BY    SEA   AND   LAND. 


35 


It  was  soon  j\scortuincd  that  the  ship  had 
come  m  coHision  with  a  HUiiken  cake  of  ice ; 
and,  as  .«oon  as  we  had  recovered  from  tlic  tem- 
porary conl'nsion  into  which  this  unexpected 
accident  had  thrown  us,  the  order  was  given  to 
"  shorten  sail  and  bring  the  ship  to." 

This  task  was  soon  accomplished,  and  the 
sliip  was  hove  to  under  double  reefed  topsails, 
with  her  head  in  shore.  Meanwhile,  another 
boy  and  myself  had  been  sent  into  the  lower 
hold  to  take  oif  the  lower  deck  hatches,  for  the 
purpose  of  breaking  out  some  fresh  water.  To 
our  astonishment,  we  discovered,  upon  raising 
the  hatches,  that  the  lower  hold  was  nearly  full 
of  water,  the  surftice  of  which  was  already 
within  ten  inches  of  the  lower  deck ! 

The  bows  of  the  ship  had  been  badly  dam- 
aged by  collision  with  the  sunken  ice-floe, 
wdiich  had  carried  away  a  portion  of  the  cut- 
water, and  thus  caused  the  leak  ;  but  strange  to 
say,  this  fact  had  never  been  suspected  until 
discovered  in  the  manner  just  described. 

The  alarm  was  immediately  given,  and  all 
hands  were  set  at  work  at  the  pumps.  It  was 
soon  found,  howevei*,  that  our  utmost  exertions 
at  the  pumps  were  not  sufficient,  even  to  stay 
the  further  progress  of  the  leak ;  and,  accord- 


86 


ARCTIC    ROVINGS, 


I" 


ingly,  tubs  were  hastily  slung  in  the  fore  and 
main  hatchways  to  aid  in  the  labor  of  freeing 
the  ship. 

After  thirty-six  hours  of  pumping  and  bail- 
inir,  we  succeeded  in  freeing  the  hold  of  water  ; 
when  the  leak  was  temporarily  stopped  by 
means  of  tarred  canvas,  which  was  crowded 
into  the  opening,  and  kept  in  place  by  nailing 
battens  across  the  leak,  from  side  to  side. 

During  this  time,  great  excitement  had  pre- 
vailed on  board,  and  the  ship  had  been  allowed 
to  drift  well  in  shore,  that,  in  case  worst  should 
come  to  worst,  and  we  should  be  unable  to 
control  the  influx  of  water,  we  might  ruD  her 
high  and  dry  upon  the  beach,  and  thus  save 
car  lives  and  perhaps  the  vessel. 

While  the  labor  of  pumping  and  bailing  was 
going  on  and  all  hands  were  struggling  for  their 
lives,  as  it  were,  the  order  was  repeatedly 
given  to  '  splice  the  main  brace  ; '  that  is  to 
say,  an  abundant  supply  of  grog  was  served 
out,  to  cheer  the  sinking  spirits  of  the  men,  and 
stimulate  them  to  renewed  exertions.  All  free- 
ly partook  of  the  spirits  with  the  single  excep- 
tion of  myself.  Not  being  accustomed  to  its 
use,  and  being,  withal,  somewhat  alarmed,  I 
refused  to  taste  it,  thus  exciting  the   surprise 


BY    SEA    AND    LAND. 


37 


and  provoking  the  ridicule  of  my  shipmates. 
I  do  not  wish  to  boast  of  superior  virtue,  or 
any  thing  of  the  kind ;  but  it  may  not  be  amiss 
to  state  in  this  connection,  that  during  my  ab- 
eence  from  home,  I  totally  abstained  from  the 
use  of  ardent  spirits. 

We  soon  had  the  satisfaction  of  finding  that 
we  had  the  leak  under  control,  our  extempore 
plug  of  tarred  canvas  having  proved  effectual 
in  excluding  the  water  ;  when  it  was  decided 
to  bear  up  for  the  port  of  Ayan  for  repairs. 
The  ship's  head  was  accordingly  put  about,  and 
under  easy  sail,  we  stood  off  for  that  port, 
keeping  well  in  shore  for  safety  in  case  of  fur- 
ther accident. 

We  arrived  at  Ayan  on  the  25th  oP  June  : 
and  the  work  of  repairing  the  ship  was  imme- 
diately commenced.  With  a  single  exception, 
no  incident  of  particular  importance  occurred 
during  our  stay  *xi  this  port.  The  exception  to 
which  I  allude,  was  a  most  severe  and  unmerit- 
ed punishment  inflicted  upon  me  by  the  captain. 

Up  to  this  time,  I  had  endeavored  to  conduct 
myself  in  such  a  manner  as  to  preclude  the 
possibility  of  punishment.  I  had  cheerfully, 
and  to  the  best  of  my  ability,  obeyed  what  I 
regarded  as  the  most  unreasonable  commands ; 


#1 


n 


38 


ARCTIC    ROViNGS, 


I  had  submitted  without  a  murmur,  to  what  I 
considered  to  be  most  reproachful  and  abusive 
language ;  in  short,  I  had  endured,  what 
seemed  to  me,  a  Hfe  of  the  most  abject  slavery, 
that  I  might  not  afford  the  faintest  shadow  of 
a  pretext  for  further  abuse. 

It  appears,  however,  that  all  my  efforts  to 
please  my  superiors,  and  save  myself  from  dis- 
graceful punishment,  were  destined  to  prove  un- 
availing. On  one  occasion  during  our  si  :.y 
at  Ayan,  as  I  was  standing  on  deck,  engaged 
in  the  performance  of  some  trivial  duty,  the 
captain  approached  me,  and  without  any  prov- 
ocation that  I  am  aware  of,  began  to  beat  and 
kick  me  in  the  most  cruel  manner ;  after  which 
he  led  me  aft,  and  gave  me  fourteen  blows  with 
the  end  of  the  main-top-gailant  brace  !  To 
this  day,  I  am  entirely  at  loss  to  account  for 
this  act :  for  1  am  not  conscious  of  having  dis- 
obeyed a  single  command,  or  offended  in  any 
manner  w:  vitever. 

Comment  upon  such  a  deed  as  I  have  just, 
recorded,  is  entirely  unnecessary :  I  simply 
state  the  incidents  precisely  as  they  occurred, 
leaving  the  reader  to  draw  hid  own  inferences 
therefrom. 

The  labor  of  repairing  the  ship  was  carried 


I 


BY   SEA  AND   LAND. 


39 


on  with  all  possible  despatch  ',  and  we  were 
soon  ready  for  sea.  As  soon  as  we  had  left  the 
port  of  Ay  an,  we  shaped  our  course  for  what 
is  called  the  Shanter  Bay,  in  which  we  ar- 
rived on  the  3d  day  of  July. 

The  following  day,  which,  with  a  thrill  of 
patriotism  in  our  bosoms,  we  remembered  aa 
the  anniversary  of  our  National  Independence, 
was  celebrated  by  the  capture  of  one  of  the 
largest  whales  we  had  yet  seen.  The  excite- 
ment of  the  chase  after  this  leviathan  of  the 
deep,  and  the  subsequent  labor  of  "cutting  in" 
and  boiling,  afforded  us  little  time  for  patriotic 
feelings,  or  demonstrations  in  honor  of  the  occa- 
sion ;  but  we  could  not  heip  contrasting  the 
scene  of  Arctic  desolation  by  which  we  were 
now  surrounded,  and  the  oppressive  stillness 
which  reigned  upon  the  bosom  of  this  ice-girt 
sea,  with  those  noisy  and  brilliant  celebrations 
of  the  "  glorious  fourth"  which  we  had  so  fre- 
quently witnessed  in  "  the  land  of  the  free  and 
the  home  of  the  brave  !" 

The  whaling  season,  so  favorably  inaugerat- 
ed  upon  the  anniversary  of  American  Inde- 
pendence, proved,  to  us  at  least,  a  remarkably 
successful  one.  During  the  months  of  July, 
August;  and  September,   scarcely  a  day  passed 


f 


40 


ARCTIC    ROVIXGS, 


without  our  cii^'injf  chase  to  one  or  more  of  the 
whale  species ;  and  although  many,  of  course, 
escaped  us,  we  succeeded  in  taking  a  greater 
number  than  any  other  ship  in  the  fleet. 

Encouraged  by  the  unusual  success  which 
had  thus  far  attended  us,  we  remained  upon  the 
whaling  ground  until  Jong  after  the  fleet  had 
departed  ;  and  when  we  could  no  longer  pursue 
the  fi  }  "-  ,  in  consequence  of  heavy  and  dang- 
erous gii  i,  and  the  intensely  cold  weather,  we 
made  sail  for  FecklistoiF,  having  captured,  dur- 
ing the  season,  forty-nine  whales,  which  had 
yielded  seventeen  hundred  barrels  of  oil,  and 
twenty-seven  thousand  pounds  of  bone. 

We  arrived  at  Fecklistoff  on  the  7th  of  Oc- 
tober ;  and  after  stopping  a  sufficient  time  to 
take  in  a  supply  of  fresh  water,  sailed  again, 
immediately  for  the  Sandwich  Islands. 

Our  passage  down  the  coast  was  long  and 
tedious,  in  consequence  of  a  succession  of  se- 
vere and  dangerous  gales  ;  our  situation,  mean- 
while, being  rendered  extremely  unpleasant  by 
harsh  treatment  from  a  quarter  whence  we 
might  reasonably  have  expected  better  things. 

In  the  following  chapter  I  ehall  give  the  read- 
er an  account  of  what  I  then  considered  a  most 
flagrant  piece  of  injustice,  of  which  I  was  made 


BY    SEA    AND    LAND. 


41 


1^ 


the  victim,    and  wliich    occurred  nbout    this 
time. 

On  our  passage  down  the  coast  we  came  very 
near  losing  our  masts,  in  consequence  of  being 
caught  aback  by  a  heavy  squall,  during  the 
middle  watch  of  a  dark  and  stormy  night.  We 
were  running  at  the  time,  under  single  reefed 
topsail,  main-top  gallant-sail,  foresail,  mainsail 
and  spanker,  close  hauled  to  the  wind  on  the 
starboard  tack. 

The  weather  had  been  squally  and  variable 
for  several  hours,  and  m.cn  had  been  constantly 
stationed  at  the  topsail  and  top-gallant  halyards, 
which  had  several  times  been  let  go  by  thij  run, 
the  yards  being  clewed  down  on  the  cay/O  dur- 
ing the  squalls,  and  again  mast-headed  /.s  soon 
as  the  wind  abated. 

Shortly  after  four  bells  of  the  middle  watch, 
the  wind  suddenlv  headed  us,  and  before  the 
helmsman  could  throw  his  wheel  up,  the  cry  of 
"  All  aback  forward !"  was  heard  from 
the  forecastle.  In  a  moment  more,  the  after 
sails  had  filled  aback  with  a  tremendous  noise, 
throwing  the  ship  nearly  upon  her  beam  tads, 
and  instantly  prostrating  the  men  on  deck. 

All     hands     were    hastily    called ;     ^hen 
the  order  was  instantly   given  to    "  shi-v«vr  tha 


». 


42 


AKCTIC    R0VING9, 


main-topsail  ;"  but  owing  to  the  violence  of 
the  squall,  and  the  steep  inclination  of  the  deck, 
which  rendered  it  difficult  for  the  men  to  stand 
upon  their  feet,  this  command  coukl  not  be  im- 
mediately obeyed.  Meanwhile,  great  excite- 
ment prevailed  among  the  crew  ;  for  the  situa- 
tion of  the  ship  was  extremely  dangerous  ;  but, 
at  length,  the  yards  were  shivered  and  braced 
up  on  the  larboard  tack ;  the  helm  was  then 
righted,  and  the  Condor  was  once  more  breast- 
ing the  billows  in  comparative  safety. 

The  danger  being  thus  averted,  the  watch 
below  returned  to  their  bvmks  to  complete  their 
unfinished  naps,  as  calmly  as  if  nothing  had 
occurred  :  for  your  true  Jack  Tar  is  one  of 
the  most  nonchalent  animals  in  existence.  Let 
the  winds  blow  high  or  low,  his  excitement  is 
seldom  so  great  as  to  deprive  him  of  an  ap;"3- 
tite,  or  prevent  him  from  sleeping :  nor  is  he 
the  man  to  indulge  in  gloomy  or  sentimental 
fancies,  under  any  circumstances  whatever: 
notwithstanding,  as  the  poet  has  expressed  it, 
he— 

Often  kno'V3, 

That  he  must  sink  to  the  groves  beneath, 
Where  the  pearl  on  the  tree  of  coral  grow, 
In  the  emerald  hall  of  Death  !   of  Death  J" 


CHAPTER  m. 


A   LIFE   ON   THE     OCEAN   WAVE. 


Punishment  for  skylarking— Honolulu— Letters  from  home— Vol- 
canic eruption— Desire  to  desert  the  ship— Departure  from  the 
Sandwich  Islands— Incidents  of  the  passage— A  storm. 

The  Incident  to  which  I  have  alluded  to  in 
the  foregoing  chapter,  as  occurring  during  our 
passage  down  the  coast  from  the  FecklistofF  to 
the  Sandwich  Islands,  affords  a  striking  exam- 
ple of  the  manner  in  which  sea  captains  may 
amuse  themselves,  during  their  leisure  hours, 
at  the  expense  of  their  inferiors.  A  precedent 
to  this  style  of  amusement  is  recorded  in  the 
fable  of  the  "  boys  and  the  frogs,"  with  which 
the  reader  is  doubtless  familiar ;  but  I  will  not 
anticipate.  The  circumstances  of  the  case  were 
substantially  as  follows  : 

.  A  few  days  after  the  squall,  which  has  been 
previously  described,  a  young  man  by  the  name 
of  Pope,  and  myself,  chanced  to  be  engaged  in 
what  is  termed  by  sailors,  "  skylarking"  in  the 
forecastle,  during   our  forenoon  watch   below. 

-43 


44 


ARCTIC   ROVINGS, 


0 


i 
H 

i 


h 


For  tlie  benefit  of  my  lanclsmen  readers,  I  will 
stjite  in  tliis  connection,  that  in  the  term  sky- 
larking, is  conipreliended  wrestling,  sparring, 
and  all  the  otlier  athletic  sports  and  boisterous 
pastimes,  by  which  sailors  seek  to  assuage  the 
tedeum  vitce,  or  relieve  the  exuberance  of  ani- 
mal spirits. 

On  this  particular  occasion  Pope  and  myself 
were  having  a  "  set  to  "  at  sparring,  merely  for 
the  fun  of  the  thing,  and  without  the  slightest 
ill  will  or  anger  upon  either  side. 

While  amusing  ourselves  in  this  manner,  the 
mate  came  forward,  and  ordering  us  on  deck, 
bade  us  walk  aft  and  report  ourselves  to  the 
captain. 

The  captain  was  pacing  the  quarter  deck  at 
the  time,  apparently  in  very  bad  humor ;  but  as 
Pope  and  myself  approached  him,  he  greeted 
us  with  an  oath,  which  I  will  not  shock  the 
reader  by  repeating,  and  immediately  ordered 
us  to  the  mast  head,  telling  us  to  remain  there 
until  we  received  permission  to  come  down. 

In  obedience  to  this  command,  Pope  ascend- 
ed to  the  main  top-gallant  cross-tress,  while  I 
clambered  up  the  mizzen  rigging  and  perched 
myself  upon  th  3  royal  yard.  We  were  allowed 
to  remain  at  our  posts  for  about  half  an  hour ; 


I 


BY    SEA    AND    LAND. 


45 


for  what  reason  I  cannot  imagine,  unless,  in~ 
deed,  it  were  that  wc  might  have  sufficient  time 
to  reflect  upon  the  enormity  of  the  cr'ine  we 
had  just  committed,  and  repent  of  our  sins  be- 
fore receiving  their  well  merited  punishment. 
If  this  were  really  so,  I  fear  we  were  not  suHi 
ciently  grateful  for  this  clemency  on  the  part 
of  our  kind  hearted  commander  ;  but  I  digress. 

We  were  at  length  commanded  to  come 
down,  and  stationed  side  by  side  near  the  miz-' 
zen  rigging  ;  when  the  captain  informed  us  that 
as  we  had  been  "making  believe  fight  for  our 
own  amusement  we  should  now  fight  in  earnest 
for  his,'*  adding,  that  whoever  got  wdiipped 
should  receive  a  flogging  from  him  also. 

Having  no  alternative  ]^t  to  obey,  we  com- 
menced fighting ;  taking  care,  however,  to 
strike  as  lightly  as  we  dared  under  the  circum- 
stances. After  a  few  minutes  of  this  compul- 
sory fighting.  Pope  gave  up,  saying  that  I  was 
too  much  for  him  ;  but  this  was  not  sufficient 
to  satisfy  the  captain,  who  exclaimed,  "  That  is 
no  fighting  at  all !"  adding,  with  an  oath,  "  I 
will  show  you  how  to  fight  and  help  you  my- 
self in  the  bargain." 

He  then  procured  a  short  whip,  having  sev- 
eral lashes  of  small  tarred  cordsj  similar  to  what 


46 


ARCTIC    UOVINGS, 


11 


i!     ^ 


is  known  on  sliipboard  us  the  '  Cat,'  and,  to  my 
surprise,  ordered  me  '  to  strip !'  The  reader 
can  well  ima<^ine,  that  I  obeyed  this  command 
most  unwillingly  :  I  was  completely  in  his 
power,  however,  and  neither  dared  to  disobey, 
or  even  to  express  my  indignation  at  this  piece 
of  injustice.  I  accordingly  removed  all  my 
clothing  above  the  waist ;  after  which,  the  cap- 
tain bade  me  "  take  fast  hold  of  the  mizzen  be- 
laying pins,"  and  not  to  let  go  when  he  struck, 
unless  "I  wished  to  receive  a  double  portion." 
lie  then  proceeded  to  give  me  eighteen  blows 
upon  my  bare  back,  with  the  whip,  laying  them 
on  with  his  whole  strength,  and  causing  the 
blood  to  flow  freely  at  nearly  every  blow ;  after 
which  he  handed  the  instrument  to  Pope,  and 
bade  him  give  me  " half  a  dozen."  This  ./as 
promptly  done ;  the  blows  which  I  received 
from  my  fellow  sufferer,  however,  being  far  less 
painful  than  those  given  me  by  the  captain. 

As  soon  as  Pope  had  given  me  six  lashes,  he, 
himself,  was  ordered  to  strip  ;  and  having  been 
placed  in  the  same  position  as  myself,  was  thea 
flofta'ed  in  a  similar  manner  ;  receiving,  how- 
ever,  but  eighteen  blows  from  the  captain,  and 
none  from  mvself. 

We  were  then  allowed  to  resume   our  cloth- 


r  li 


BY    SEA    AND    LAND. 


47 


>> 


as 


ing,  and,  with  many  curses,  were  ordered  to  re- 
turn to  the  forecastle.  We  sufiered  intensely 
for  many  days  afterwards,  from  the  eflects  of 
this  flogging,  and  it  was  with  no  little  difiiculty 
that  we  performed  our  duties  :  Still,  we  dared 
not  complain,  for  we  knew  too  well  the  temper 
of  our  commander  ;  and  were  well  aware  that 
a  still  more  painful  punishment  would  attend  a 
refusal  to  perform  our  appropriate  labors. 

The  reader  will  ple;ise  to  bear  in  mind  the 
fact  that  this  severe  punishment  was  inflicted 
upon  us,  simply,  because  we  ventured  to  indulge 
in  a  little  harmless  eport,  during  our  watch  be- 
low, and  not  in  conseqiicnce  of  neglect  of  duty 
or  a  single  act  of  insubordination. 

The  injustice,  as  we  considered  it,  of  the  pun- 
ishment, however,  only  rendered  it  the  more 
unendurable,  and  many  times,  while  sufl'ering 
from  the  painful  wounds,  inflicted  by  the  cat, 
1  thought  of  Burns'  oft  c| noted  words, — 

*•  Man's  inhumanity  to  man, 
Makes  countless  thousands  mourn, — 

But  I  forbear.  The  reader's  own  sense  of 
justice  will  enable  him  to  render  a  just  decision 
in  regard  to  such  a  case  as  this,  without  further 
comment  from  me. 


•WW 


f 


4S 


AIJCTIC    110V1NG8, 


\     I 


\  . 


(,. 


We  jvi'iivchI  at  Honolulu  on  tlie  ITtli  of  De- 
ccnibor,  lisivliiui;  st(»|)[)e(l  for  a  few  djiys  on  our 
way  thither,  tit  llilo  and  Lalunia  ;  and  iniuie- 
diately  commenced  discharguij^  our  oil  and  bone, 
for  the  purpose  of  sending  them  to  New  Bed- 
ford, by  some  homeward  bound  ship. 

At  Honolulu  I  received  a  package  of  letters 
from  my  friends  at  home,  which  1  opened  with 
eager  hands,  and  mingled  sensations  of  joy  and 
fear ; — joy  at  the  prospect  of  beholding  once 
more  the  familiar  hand  writing,  and  i)erusing 
the  words  of  the  loved  ones  at  home,  and  fear, 
lest  tiie  letters  should  contain  intelliijence  >  '^  a 
painful  nature.  A  person  who  has  never  crt  \ 
the  pathless  deep,  can  scarcely  realize  the  im- 
portance which  the  ocean  wanderer  attaches  to 
the  event  of  receiving  a  letter  from  home.  "  As 
cold  water  to  a  thirsty  soul,  so  is  good  news 
from  a  far  country ;"  but  when  the  long  expect- 
ed letter  brings  intelligence  of  the  sickness  or 
death  of  some  near  and  dear  one,  then  its  peru- 
sal affords  the  most  bitter  and  soid  crushinjj 
disappointment  that  the  mind  can  well  conceive 
of. 

My  letters,  however,  contained  only  good 
news,  and  words  of  the  most  cheering  import. 
My  friends  at  home  were  well  and   happy,  and 


m 


r 


BY    SEA    AXD    LAND. 


49 


the  m;iny  tokens  of  kindly  remenjl>rancc  and 
sinccro  wishes  tor  the  prosperity  and  safe  return 
of  tlic  al)scnt  one,  contained  in  their  letters,  en- 
abled me  to  resume  my  labors  with  a  lighter 
heart  than  I  had  borne  in  my  bosom  for  many 
a  long  and  dreary  day. 

I  immediately  answered  the  letters  which  I 
had  received,  giving  my  friends  a  brief  account 
of  my  voyage  thus  far,  but  presenting  only  the 
brighter  side  of  the  picture  to  their  view,  as  I 
did  not  wish  to  pain  them,  with  a  faithful  de- 
scription of  my  daily  life  ou  shipboard.  I  in- 
formed them  of  the  remarkable  success  which 
had  thus  far  attended  us,  and  concluded  by 
stating  that  should  our  second  season  prove  as 
favorable  as  the  first,  and  I  should  live  to  re- 
turn to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  I  should,  by  that 
time,  have  made  my  "  pile,"  and  be  ready  to 
sail  for  home. 

During  our  stay  at  Honolulu  I  witnessed  a 
volcanic  eruption,  which  presented  the  most 
sublime  and  awful  scene  that  I  ever  be- 
held. The  molten  lava  was  thrown  upward 
to  a  considerable  height,  and,  descending,  flow- 
ed down  the  sides  of  the  mountain  in  torrents, 
sweeping  away  every  particle  of  vegetation 
like  chaff  before  the  wind,  and  consuming  every 


i    t 


I  1 


Li 


ARCTIC   ROVINGS, 


thing  combustible  in  its  pathway ;  until  it 
reachftd  the  water,  into  which  it  rushed  head- 
Jong,  seething  and  hissing  furiously,  and  then 
burst  into  fragments  with  a  loud  report.  I 
collected  a  quantity  of  these  fragments,  which 
I  stowed  carefully  away  in  the  till  of  my  chest, 
among  other  curiosities  procured  at  various 
ports  that  we  had  \isited,  and  which  I  designed 
as  presents  for  my  friends  at  home. 

Shortly  after  our  arrival  at  Honolulu,  I 
asked  for  my  discharge,  but  this  request  was 
met  w^ith  a  most  unqualified  refusal. 

While  we  remained  in  that  port,  I  was  more 
than  once,  strongly  tempted  to  desert  the  ship ; 
but  upon  serious  consideration,  I  feared  to 
make  the  attempt ;  the  chance  of  escape  being 
small,  and  the  fate  which  I  knew  would  ine- 
vitably await  me  should  I  be  taken  in  the  act, 
so  much  to  be  dreaded.  Still,  I  resolved,  that 
should  a  more  favorable  opportunity  present, 
before  the  sailing  of  the  ship,  I  would  desert, 
even  at  the  ri.«k  of  being  caught  and  severely 
flogged,  or  perhaps,  maimed  for  life. 

We  remained  at  Honolulu  nearly  three 
months ;  meanwhile,  the  ship  was  discharged, 
and  thoroughly  repaired.  She  was  then  refit- 
ted and  supplied  with  stores  for  another  sea- 
son. 


-I 


BY    SEA   AND   LAND. 


51 


On  the  31st  of  Jauuary,  1858,  we  sailed  from 
Honolulu,  bound  direct  .o  the  Okotsk  Sea ; 
no  good  chance  for  me  to  efloct  my  escape  hav- 
ing, as  yet  offered.  Our  first  stopping  place 
on  the  passage  was  Attoian,  where  we  arrived 
on  the  10th  of  February,  and  lay  off  and  on 
three  days,  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the 
ship  with  ^rewood,  water  and  fresh  meat. 

After  sailing  from  Attoian,  no  i  \cident  of 
importance  interrupted  the  monotony  of  the 
pasi'age  for  many  days.  Wind  and  weather 
being  favorable,  we  pursued  our  course  under 
a  heavy  spread  of  canvas,  and  frequently,  with- 
out starting  tack,  sheet,  or  halyards  for  daya 
at  a  time. 

Meanwhile,  the  crew  enjoyed  a  life  of  ease 
and  comparative  comfort.  Of  course,  there  was 
httlc  labor  to  be  performed  on  board,  and, 
with  the  exception  of  the  lookout,  and  the  man 
at  the  wheel,  the  foremast  hands  were  left  to 
spend  the  hours  in  whatever  manner  seemed 
most  agreeable.  In  the  ^orecastle,  cards, 
backgammon,  checkers  and  similar  games, 
formed  a  never  failing  source  of  amusement 
durinj;  leisure  hours  ;  while  sinfjincj,  dancins: 
and  story-telling,  afforded  an  agreeable  variety, 
and  aided  in  keeping  the  men  in  good  health 
and  spirits. 


1 


! 


r    i 


52 


ARCTIC   ROVINGS, 


^    \ 


Borne  of  tiie  older,  and  more  superstitious 
tars  displayed  an  extraordinary  degree  of 
skill  in  "  dra vying  the  long  bow  ;  "  and  many 
marvellous  talcs  of  the  great  deep,  —  of  phan- 
tom craft  which  appeared  only  during  a  gale 
of  wind  ;  like  the  Flying  Dutchman,  with  her 
ghostly  crew  of  strange  apparitions,  and  fear- 
ful omens,  —  of  haunted  ships  and  a  thousand 
other  strange  and  supernatural  things,  were 
spun,  during  the  hours  of  rest  by  day,  or  the 
long  watches  of  the  night,  to  an  eager  and  de- 
lighted audience.  Did  time  and  space  permit, 
I  would  gladly  repeat  a  few  of  these  "  yarns  " 
for  the  benefit  of  the  reader ;  but  I  must  not 
digress  from  the  proper  course  of  my  narra- 
tive. 

One  Sunday  afternoon,  soon  after  we  had 
left  the  port  of  A^ttoian,  the  entire  crew,  with 
the  exception  of  one  man  upon  the  lookout, 
and  another  at  the  w^heel,  had  assembled  in  the 
forecastle,  for  the  double  purpose  of  enjoying 
a  comfortable  after-dinner  smoke,  and  listening: 
to  "  a  long  yarn  "  from  a  veteran  whaleman. 
Our  dinner,  by  the  way,  had  consisted  of  a 
"  sea-pie,"  of  fresh  meat,  and  a  liberal  supply 
of  "  plum  duif ;  "  and  all  hands  had  partaken  of 
both   these   luxuries,   to   the   extent     x    their 


'i 


BT   SEA  AND   LAND. 


53 


capacity.  As  may  well  be  supposed,  this 
*'  Sabbath-day  dinner,"  had  been  a  most  agree- 
able change  from  our  every  day  fare,  and  had 
served  to  put  us  in  the  best  of  humor. 

We  had  been  listening  with  the  utmost  at- 
tention for  nearly  an  hour»  to  a  "  blood  and 
thunder "  story  of  sea  adventure,  when  we 
were  suddenly  startled  by  the  cry  of  "All  hands 
ahoy  !  Shorten  sail  I  "  We  sprang  to  our  feet 
in  utter  amazement,  for  the  ship  was  going 
smoothly  along,  at  the  time,  under  full  sail, 
and  no  indication  of  a  coming  squall  had  been 
visible  when  we  left  the  deck.  We  rushed  out 
of  the  forecastle,  but,  upon  reaching  the  deck, 
our  astonishment  increased  at  finding  our- 
selves beneath  a  still  unclouded  sky,  and  with 
only  a  six  knot  breeze  -tending  our  canvas. 
The  horizon  even  at  the  wuter's  edge,  presented 
an  unbroken  expanse  of  clear  blue  sky  the 
sea  was  heavino:  in  lonjj  and  renjuliir  swells, 
the  surface  of  which  appeared  as  smooth  as 
molten  glass  ;  and  everything  seemed  to  be- 
token a  protracted  calm,  rather  than  a  tempest 
or  a  squall. 

We  had  little  time  for  gazing  upon  the  scene 
around  us,  however,  for  we  had  scarcely  reach- 
ed the  deek,  when  the  captain  advanced  to  the 


I    4i 


:       ) 


rj 


r  t 


'    ?      8i 


54 


ARCTIC    ROVINGS, 


break  of  the  poop  and  commenced  rapidly  is- 
suing the  proper  commands  for  taking  in 
sail. 

The  royals  and  top-gallant  sails  were  hastily 
clewed  up,  fore  and  aft ;  the  outer  and  flying 
jibs  and  all  the  stay  eails  were  hauled  down,  and 
the  officers  were  ordered  to  "  see  the  top-sail 
halyards  clear  for  running  out !"  the  star- 
board watch  was  then  sent  aloft  to  furl  the  royals 
and  top-gallant  sails,  while  the  port  watch  were 
ordered  to  roll  up  the  jibs  and  stay-sails. 
Meanwhile  the  captain  paced  fore  and  aft  the 
quarter  deck  in  the  most  excited  manner,  repeat- 
edly calling  to  the  men  to  "  be  lively,"  and 
"  work  with  a  will,"  and  casting  many  a  long 
and  anxious  glance  to  windward. 

As  soon  as  all  hands  had  returned  to  the 
deck,  the  main  and  mizzen  courses  and  mizzen 
top-sail  were  clewed  up  ;  though  as  yet,  no  in- 
dications of  an  approaching  gale  were  visib  e 
to  the  eye  of  the  most  experienced  seaman. 
Of  course,  the  men  obeyed  the  orders  for  short- 
ening sail  as  promptly  as  they  would  have 
done  in  a  case  of  emergency  ;  but  I  overheard 
more  than  one  veteran  tar  express  the  mutter- 
ed opinion,  that  "  the  old  man  must  be  either 
drunk  or  crazy,  to   clew  up  and  furl  in    this 


manner. 


» 


BY   SEA   AND   LAND. 


55 


We  discovered  ere  long,  however,  that  the 
"  old  man  "  had  good  and  sufficient  cause  for  his 
present  course,  as  the  reader  will  presently  un- 
derstand. 

The  main-sail,  cross-jack,  and  mizzen  top- 
sail were  hastily  furled ;  and  then  came  the 
order  "  to  let  go  the  fore-main  and  top-sail  hal- 
yards— clew  the  yards  down — haul  out  the  reef 
tackles  — jump  aloft  and  close  reef  the  top- 
sails." 

By  the  time  these  orders  had  been  obeyed 
it  was  nearly  sun-set ;  but  still  no  signs  of 
rough  weather  were  to  be  seen,with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  few  small,  dark  clouds  which  were 
beginning  to  show  themselves  along  the  weath- 
er horizon.  The  top-sails  having  been  mast- 
headed, the  spanker  was  close  reefed,  after 
which,  two  of  the  best  men  were  sent  to  the 
wheel,  while  others  were  stationed  at  the  hal- 
yards of  the  fore  and  main  top-sails,  fore  top- 
mast stay-sails  and  spanker;  these  being  the 
only  sails  which  now  remained  upon  the  ship. 

And  now,  the  appearance  of  the  sky  was, 
indeed,  portentous.  The  clouds  to  windward 
had  rapidly  risen  and  increased,  while  the  rays 
of  the  setting  sun  cast  a  lurid  glare  upon  the 
sea,  which   already    began  to  be   troubled,  as 


fi 


f. 


I'    ; 


5Q 


ARCTIC    I10VIXO8, 


by  some  unseen  influence.  The  wind  had  been 
gradually  increasing  for  some  time ;  but  we 
had  scarcely  completed  the  task  of  making  all 
snug  alow  and  aloft,  when  it  suddenly  lulled, 
and  an  ominous  calm  succeeded,  while  the  si  ils 
hung  idly  from  the  yards,  unstirred  by  the 
faintest  breath. 

It  was  evident  that  rough  weather  was  soon 
to  be  expected  ;  and  the  men  collected  along 
the  w^eather  rail  castinjy  manv  an  anxious 
glance  toward  the  dense  black  clouds  to  wind- 
ward. We  were  not  destined,  however,  to  re- 
main long  in  suspenFC ;  for  soon  a  long  line  of 
foam  was  visible,  broad  upon  the  weather  beam, 
advancing  rapidly  toward  the  Ehip,  and  thus 
indicating  the  quarter  whence  the  squall  was 
about  to  £5trike  us. 

The  order  was  now  given  to  "  stand  by  the 
braces,"  while  the  captain  seized  his  speaking 
trumpet  and  stationed  himself  by  the  mizzen 
rigging,  holding  by  the  shrouds  for  support. 
The  sails  still  hung  motionless  from  the  yards, 
and  the  ship  lay  like  a  log  upon  the  waters, 
but  the  tempest  w  as  rapidly  approaching,  with 
the  low  moaning  sound  which  so  frequently 
precedes  a  storm  at  sea. 

Suddenly,  and  with  a  roar  like  thunder,  it 


BY   SEA   AND    LAND. 


57 


burst  upon  us,  burying  the  ship  to  her  scup- 
pers in  the  foaming  sea,  and  drenching  us  with 
the  spray,  which  flew  above  the  main  yard  and 
descended  in  torrents  upon  the  deck. 

"  Heave  up  the  wheel  —  square  the  yards !  " 
shouted  the  captain,  through  his  trumpet,  as 
the  squall  broke  upon  us ;  and  in  obedience  to 
these  commands  the  wheel  was  hove  hard  up, 
while  the  men  braced  round  the  yards  in  a 
twinkling,  thus  getting  the  ship  directly  before 
the  wind. 

The  top-sail  halyards  were  then  let  go,  and 
the  yard  clewed  down ;  for  the  force  of  the 
gale  was  so  great,  that  the  captain  was  in  fear 
of  losing  his  masts.  In  this  condition  the  ship 
drove  furiously  on  before  the  gale,  for  several 
hours,  while  the  crew  did  nothing  but  hold  on 
as  best  they  might,  to  save  themselves  from 
being  washed  overboard  by  the  waves,  which, 
ever  and  anon,  burst  over  the  forecastle  and 
swept  fore  and  aft  the  decks. 

While  scuddino;  in  this  manner  almost  under 
bare  poles,  we  could  not  but  reflect  upon  the 
fate  which  would  inevitably  have  been  ours, 
had  this  howling  tempest  found  us  under  full 
sail  and  unprepared  for  its  coming. 

My  nautical  reader  will  not   need  to  be  in- 


I    ! 


■       I 


I  I 


% 


58 


ARCTIC   KOVIXGS, 


formed  of  the  manner  in  which  the  captain  waa 
able  to  predict  the  approaching  storm  and  pre- 
pare his  ship  to  meet  it ;  but,  for  the  bcnelit  of 
others,  a  brief  explanation  seems  necessary. 

It  appears,  that  early  in  the  afternoon,  the 
captain  had  taken  a  look  at  the  barometer, 
according  to  his  usual  custom,  when,  to  his 
surprise,  he  observed  that  the  mercury  waa 
falling  with  great  rapidity.  As  no  other  signs 
of  a  storm  were  visible,  he  did  not  immediately 
heed  the  warning  thus  conveyed ;  but,  when, 
after  the  lapse  of  half  an  hour,  he  again  con- 
sulted the  barometer  and  found  the  mercury 
still  falling,  he  wisely  concluded  that  no  time 
was  to  be  lost,  and  hastening  on  deck,  pro- 
ceeded to  shorten  sail  as  previously  described. 
The  result  the  reader  alreadv  knows. 

After  a  few  hours  the  wind  considerably 
abated ;  and  by  midnight,  we  were  running 
smoothly  along  under  close  reefed  top-sails, 
fore  top-mast  stay-sail,  and  spanker  ;  while  it 
was  evident  to  all,  that  the  gale  had  blown  its 
strength  away,  and  that  no  farther  danger  was 
to  be  apprehended.  Had  it  not  been  for  the 
timely  warning  of  the  faithful  barometer,  how- 
ever, not  one  of  us  would  have  survived  to 
tell  the  tale. 


CHAPTEK  IV. 


THE   ESCAPE. 


Fair  weather  aj;ain— A  leak— In  port  for  repairs— Arrival  at  the 
wliiilini!  j^rounds— A  successful  season— IMaltroatment— Encamp- 
ment on  the  coast— The  escape— Two  nights  iu  the  wilds— Join- 
ing the  natives. 

By  daybreak,  on  the  morning  following  the 
storm,  the  wind  had  greatly  abated,  and  the 
clonds  had  began  to  break  away  and  disappear. 
Durlno;  the  mornino;  watch,  the  reefs  were 
shaken  out  of  the  topsails,  and  at  eight  bells 
the  other  watch  were  turned  out  to  assist  in 
making  sail.  An  hour  later,  we  were  again 
heading  our  course,  under  full  sail,  for  the 
Okotsk    sea. 

No  farther  incident  of  importance  occurred 

for  several  days  ;  and  every  thing  on  board  the 

Condor  went  on  as  usual,  until  nearly  a  week 

after  the  storm,  when  it  was  suddenlv   disco v- 

ered,  upon  sounding  the  well  one  evening,  that 

the  ship  had  five  feet  of  water  in  the  hold  ! 

She  had  been  pumped  dry  on  the  preceding 

59 


60 


ARCTIC    ROVINOS, 


:    « 


;"  is 


f 


evening  ;  and  it  was  evident  that  ^lie  had  again 
pprung  aleak.  The  pumps  were  immediately 
put  in  operation,  and  the  crew  were  divided  into 
pump  gangs  of*  six  men  each,  that  they  might 
relieve  each  other  at  regular  intervals.  We 
soon  perceived,  however,  that  the  leak  was  rap- 
idly gaining  upon  us,  notwithstanding  our  ut- 
most exertions  at  the  pumps  ;  when  the  captain 
immediately  decided  to  tack  ship  and  stand  in 
for  the  port  of  Gnom  for  repairs.  This  was  ac- 
cordingly done  ;  and,  in  the  course  of  twenty 
four  hours,  we  arrived  at  Gnom,  with  eight  feet 
of  water  in  the  ship,  and,  literally,  in  a  sinking 
condition. 

At  this  port,  the  ship  was  overhauled  and 
thoroughly  repaired  ;  after  which,  we  took  in 
a  supply  of  water,  and  vejxetables,  and  sailed 
again,  on  the  5th  of  March,  for  the  Okotsk 
sea ;  making  the  passage  without  further  ad- 
venture, and  arriving  in  the  sea  on  the  25th  of 
April. 

Thence,  wc  sailed  for  Jonas  Island,  where  we 
cruised  nine  days,  and  took  one  whale.  We 
then  ran  into  Ay  an,  and  lay  off  and  on  for  a 
day  or  two  while  the  captain  was  ashore  ;  sail- 
ing thence,  immediately  upon  his  return  to  the 
ship,  for  the  Shanter  Bay,  where  we  arrived  on 


BY   SEA   AND   LAND. 


61 


the  evening  of  the  following  day,  having  made 
the  passage  from  Ayan  in  thirty  six  hours. 

Here  we  encountered  a  dense  foo:,  which  for 
several  days,  prevented  us  from  giving  chase  to 
any  of  the  whale/j,  which  we  saw  in  abundance 
around  us.  At  length,  however,  the  fog  cleared 
away  ;  when  we  commenced  the  fishing  in  good 
earnest.  After  this  we  had  quite  a  "  run"  of 
good  luck,  and  in  a  short  time  succeeded  in  cap- 
turing nine  whales,  one  of  the  "  right  whale  '* 
species,  which  yielded  three  hundred  barrels  of 
oil. 

One  morning  during  the  season,  the  cry  of 
"  Whales  I"  was  heard  from  the  mast  head  ;  and 
as  usual,  the  boats  were  hastily  manned  for  the 
chase.  At  that  time  1  belonged  to  the  captain's 
boat  and,  upon  this  occasion,  w  hile  row  ing,  I  ac- 
cidentally did  what  many  an  older  and  better 
seaman  than  myself  has  occasionally  done  be- 
fore me,  that  io  to  say,  I  had  the  misfortune  to 
"  cramp"  my  oar  ;  wdiereupon  the  captain  im- 
mediately knocked  me  off  my  seat.  He  then 
proceeded  to  kick  me  as  I  lay  in  the  bottom  of 
the  boat,  and  to  strike  me  several  blows  with  an 
oak  stick,  which  he  found  in  the  stern  sheets 
of  the  boat.  One  of  these  blows  inflicted  a 
wound  upon  my  side,  from  which  I  never   ex- 


SSSB 


62 


A Ti en c  ROviNoa, 


'■t' 


I 

1 
I 

1 

1 

i 

; 

i 

h 

pect  to  recover ;  liavinj^  ])i'0(luced  an  internal 
injury  of  a  severe  and  painful  nature. 

As  the  reader  may  well  imagine,  tliiii  treat- 
ment rendered  me  unfit  for  the  proper  perfor- 
mance of  my  duty  ;  nevertheless,  1  was  com- 
pelled to  resume  my  seat,  and  pull  at  my  oar 
until  the  whale  of  which  we  were  in  pursuit 
of  had  been  overtaken,  killed,  and  towed  along- 
side of  the  ship. 

On  the  following  morning  I  found  myself 
scarcely  able  to  leave  my  berth,  from  the  eflects 
of  my  injuries  ;  still,  I  dared  not  complain,  or 
refuse  to  perform  duty.  Accordingly,  I  hob* 
bled  on  deck,  as  well  as  I  was  able ;  and,  soon 
afterwards,  tl  -y  of  "  whales  "  having  been 
raised,  w^as  placed  in  the  boat,  by  the  assistance 
of  my  shipmates,  and,  although  in  great  pain, 
compelled  to  pull  an  oar  for  many  hours. 

A  few  davs  after  the  occurrence  of  the  events 
just  described,  the  second  mate  had  a  long  chase 
after  a  whale,  which  he  finally  succeeded  in 
killing,  at  a  distance  of  nearly  twelve  miles 
from  the  ship,  and  very  near  the  shore.  Find- 
ing that  he  should  be  unable  to  tow  his  prize 
back  to  the  ship  w  ithout  assistance,  and  being 
in  shoal  water,  he  anchored  the  carcase  securely 
and  returned  to  the  ship. 


BY    SEA    AND    LAND. 


63 


On  the  next  morning,  two  boats,  the  second 
and  tliird  mate's,  wer  j  sent  to  the  place  where 
the  whale  had  been  left,  for  the  purpose  of 
bringing  it  along  side.  Although  I  rightly  be- 
longed to  the  captain's  boat,  I  was  ordered  to 
join  the  party,  and,  notwithstanding  my  dis- 
abled condition,  was  compelled  to  obey.  The 
wind  was  strong  and  the  sea  running  high  at 
the  time ;  and  so  much  time  was  consumed  in 
searching  for  the  whale,  that  the  short  Arctic 
day  was  well  nigh  spent,  by  the  time  we  had 
succeeded  in  finding  him.  Knowing,  full  well, 
that  it  would  be  useless  to  attempt  to  return 
to  the  ship  before  morning,  we  resolved 
to  land  upon  the  coast,  and  seek  shelter  for  the 
night.  The  weather  was  intensely  cold,  for  it 
was  now  the  first  of  October  ;  the  entire  fleet, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Condor,  having  al- 
ready left  the  coast  for  the  Sandwich  Islands. 

We  accordingly  pulled  ashore  ;  and,  having 
moored  the  boats  in  a  small  cove,  proceeded  to 
seek  a  suitable  spot  for  our  encampment.  After 
a  brief  search,  we  found  ^  place  well  suited  to 
our  purpose  ;  being  sheltered  on  three  sides  by 
large  rocks,  which  might  easily  be  covered  in, 
and  made  to  form  a  comfortable  shelter  for  the 
night. 


1 


I 


I  ^    • 


64 


ARCTIC    R0VING8, 


Accordingly,  we  proceeded,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  second  mate, — who  had  assumed  the 
position  of  leader, — ^to  cut  down  a  number  oi 
small  trees,  which  we  placed  across  the 
rocks  which  formed  the  sides  of  our  wigwam  ; 
covering  these  to  a  considerable  depth,  with 
bushes  which  grew  in  abundance  at  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  shore. 

We  then  procured  a  large  quantity  of  drift 
wood,  with  which  we  built  a  roaring  iire,  oppo- 
site the  open,  or  seaward  side  of  the  hut,  for 
the  double  purpose  of  warmth,  and  a  protection 
against  the  attacks  of  wild  beasts. 

Each  one  of  us  was  provided  with  two  entire 
suits  of  woolen  clothing ;  and  with  a  portion 
of  these  extra  g?iiments  and  some  pieces  of  can- 
vas which  had  been  placed  in  the  boats,  we 
now  constructed  a  very  comfortable  sleeping 
place  at  the  inner  extremity  of  our  cave.  We 
had  taken  the  precaution,  upon  leaving  the 
ship,  to  supply  both  boats  Avith  water  and  pro- 
visions, lest,  we  might  suffer  from  the  want  of 
these  articles,  in  case  our  absence  from  the  ship 
should,  from  any  cause,  prove  longer  than  we 
anticipated. 

The  necessary  preparations  for  the  night  be- 
ing   completed,    the   provisions   were  brought 


BY    SEA    AND    LAND. 


65 


from  tlie  boats,  and  placed  upon  a  large  flat 
stone,  near  the  entrance  of  our  liut,  together 
with  a  demijohn  of  rum,  which  the  second  mate 
had  slyly  placed  in  the  stern  sheets  of  his  boat. 
All  hands  then  seated  themselves  upon  the 
ground,  around  the  flat  stone  which  served  us 
for  a  table  ;  and  with  an  appetite  such  as  a  hard 
day's  labor,  in  the  piercing  cold  of  tlie  Arctic 
region  alone  can  give,  we  commenced  an  attack 
upon  the  substantial  cheer  so  abundantly  pro- 
vided. 

The  sense  of  perfect  freedom,  so  delightful 
to  those  who  have  been  long  accustomed  to  the 
restraints  on  ship-board,  as  well  as  the  feelings 
of  comfort,  resulting  from  a  good  supper  and 
snug  quarters  for  the  night,  put  the  whole 
company  in  the  best  of  humor  ;  the  rum,  which 
was  freely  dispensed  in  the  tin  cups,  with 
which  each  man  was  provided,  added  to  the  ef- 
fect :  and  before  the  conclusion  of  the  meal,  a 
scene  of  merry-making  and  hilarity  had  com- 
menced, which  promised  to  continue  until  far 
into  the  night. 

Meanwhile,  a  new  and  strange  idea  had  taken 
possession  of  my  mind ;  an  idea  which,  at  first, 
I  scarcely  dared  to  entertain,  lest  my  new  born 
hope   should  result  in  bitter  disappointment ; 


66 


AKCTIC    ROVTNGS, 


M 


but  which,  as  the  evening  hours  passed  on,  be- 
gan to  assume  a  more  and  more  reasonable  ap- 
pearance. It  had  occurred  to  me  that  an  op- 
portunity of  escape,  from  the  hateful  life  which 
I  had  so  long  been  compelled  to  endure,  might 
possibly  present  itself  during  the  night ;  and, 
as  the  mirth  and  laughter  of  my  companions 
grew  more  and  more  boisterous,  and  it  became 
evident  that  very  soon  the  entire  company 
would  be  completely  intoxicated,  this  thought 
became  a  well  grounded  hope  ;  and  I  proceed- 
ed innnediately  to  lay  my  plans  for  an  escape, 
and  take  measures  for  putting  them  in  execu- 
tion. 

And  here  I  must  inform  the  reader  that,  while 
the  Condor  had  remained  at  Honolulu,  previous 
to  the  commencement  of  the  second  season  in 
the  fishery,  I  had  made  a  confidant  of  a  boy  of 
nearly  the  same  age  as  myself,  named  Elias  D. 
Tolman,  who  was  a  native  of  Dana,  Mass.,  and 
who,  like  myself,  considered  his  daily  life  on 
board  the  Condor,  to  be  only  a  species  of  sla- 
very, and  that  too,  of  the  most  intolerable  nature. 

I  had  informed  Tolman  of  my  desire  to  es- 
cape from  the  ship,  either  while  she  remained 
at  that  port,  or  at  a  future  time,  and  he  had 
expressed  his  willingness  to  join  me  in  such  an 


BY    SEA   AND    LAND. 


67 


undertaking,  whenever  I  deemed  it  prudent  to 
make  the  attempt. 

During  our  passage  from  the  Sandwich  Is- 
lands to  tlie  Okotsk  Sea,  we  had  frequently 
conversed  upon  the  subject,  and  had  resolved 
that  we  would  desert  the  ship  together  at  the 
first  favorable  opportunity  ;  uuless  our  daily  life 
on  shipboard  should  undergo  a  change  for  the 
better,  promit^ing  to  stand  by  each  other  under 
any  circumstances,  and  incur  any  dangers  or 
endure  any  amount  of  privation,  rather  than  re- 
linguish  our  enterprises. 

Fortunately,  Tolman  was  a  member  of  the 
second  mate's  boat's  crew,  and  was  consequently 
a  member  of  our  party  upon  the  present  occa- 
sion. 

After  many  hours  of  revelry,  our  compan- 
ions began  gradually  to  yield  to  the  stupefying 
effects  of  the  rum,  and  to  drop  off,  one  by  one, 
into  a  drunken  slumber.  I  had,  previously,  con- 
trived to  give  Tolman  a  hint  of  my  designs, 
and  he,  like  myself,  had  refused  to  partake  of 
the  rum,  as  the  demijohn  was  passed  around. 
When  the  second  mate,  who  had  presided  over 
the  revel,  perceived  that  nearly  all  his  party 
had  become  insensible,  he  ordered  Tolman  and 
myself  to  replenish  the  fire ;    bidding  us  keep 


m" 


68 


ARCTIC    ROYINGS, 


i      ' 


1 


M  I 


!•  I 


n 


1:    ;        .        31 


watch  by  turn  during  the  night,  both  to  guard 
against  being  surprised  by  savages  or  wild  beasts, 
and  to  prevent  the  fire  from  going  out.  In  less 
than  half  an  hour  from  this  time,  the  whole 
company,  ourselves  excepted,  were  wrapped  in 
slumber. 

The  long  looked  for  opportunity  of  escape 
had  now  arrived  ;  and,  with  trembling  eager- 
ness, we  proceeded  to  make  preparations  for  our 
departure.  Previous  to  our  landing,  I  had  ob- 
served a  number  of  small  tents  at  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  place  which  we  had  chosen  for 
our  encampment,  and  which,  as  I  rightly  sup- 
posed, belonged  to  the  natives,  whose  custom  it 
is  to  come  to  the  coast  for  the  purpose  of  fish- 
ing, at  this  season  of  the  year,  bringing  with 
them  small  tents,  which  they  pitch  along  the 
shore  for  shelter  durino^  the  nig-ht. 

The  plan  which  I  had  hastily  conceived,  was 
to  join  this  party  of  natives,  and  seek  protec- 
tion and  shelter  from  them  ;  making  them  un- 
derstand by  signs,  if  possible,  the  situation  in 
which  we  were  placed,  and  the  fate  which  would 
await  us  if  compelled  to  return  to  the  ship.  I 
feared  to  join  them,  immediately,  however,  lest 
our  shipmates,  upon  discovering  our  absence  in 
the  morning,  should,  naturally  look  for  us  in  the 
native  encampment. 


f  .] 


BY   SEA  AND   LAND. 


69 


Accordingly,  I  resolved  to  m  ^ke  preparations 
for  spending  one  day  and  night,  at  least,  in 
Bome  secure  place  of  concealment,  at  a  consid- 
erable distance  inland  ;  thus  affording  the  two 
boats'  crews  ample  time  to  return  to  the  ship 
before  I  attempted  to  hold  any  intercourse  with 
the  natives.  Having  imparted  my  plans  to 
Tolman,  as  soon  as  the  last  of  our  companions 
had  fallen  asleep,  we  commenced,  without  de- 
lay, to  collect  a  quantity  of  provisions,  and  a 
few  other  articles  which  would  be  necessary  to 
our  safety  and  comfort,  during  the  following 
twenty  four  hours. 

Among  these  articles,  were  a  box  of  lucifer 
matches,  two  tin  cups  for  drinking  purposes, 
an  extra  sheath  knife  apiece,  which  we  were 
compelled  to  take  from  the  belts  of  our  sleeping 
ship-mates,  —  quieting  our  consciences  mean- 
while with  the  reflection  that  they  could  pro- 
cure others  on  board  the  ship,  while  we  could 
not  —  a  pair  of  ship  pistols,  with  suitable  am- 
munition —  a  small  pocket  compass  which  we 
found  in  the  second  mate's  pea-jacket  pocket, 
and  last,  but  not  least,  especially  in  that  arctic 
region,  a  pint  flask  which  we  also  found  in  the 
second  mate's  pocket,  and  which  we  filled  with 
rum  from  the  demijohn. 


m 


1 


I 


I  III 


: 

i 

1 

^•h 

! 

i 

•  H 

.    2 

^ 

\\  f 


i- 

f  i 

IMI 

^  i- 

?  if 

1! 

70 


ATICTIC    ROARINGS, 


Our  provisions  and  a  portion  of  these  articles 
were  placed  in  a  canvas  bag,  which  we  agreed 
to  carry  by  turns ;  while  the  remainder  were 
stowed  carefully  away  in  the  pockets  of  our 
inner  pea-jackets  —  for  it  will  be  remembered 
ihat  we  were  each  provided  with  two  suits  of 
clothino^  throufijhout. 

Our  preparations  for  departure  being  com- 
pleted, we  crept  softly  past  our  sleeping  com- 
panions, and,  trembling  with  hope  and  fear, 
emerged  from  our  tent,  into  the  clear  cold 
night  of  the  Arctic  .Region,  without  difficulty 
or  danger,  and  without  in  the  slightest  degree 
disturbing  our  companions.  Notwithstanding 
the  perils  v»^hich  surrounded  us,  and  the  ob- 
stacles which  we  must  expect  to  encounter  dur- 
ing our  journey  nto  the  interior  of  the  deso- 
late region,  our  hearts  leaped  for  joy  as  we 
hastened  silently  away  from  the  tent ;  for 
at  length  we  were  free  !  —  free  from  a  life  of 
slavery  —  free  from  tyranny  —  free  from  the 
oppressive  power  of  our  fellow-men  —  free  as 
the  children  of  the  desert  and  the  forest,  and 
happy  in  the  consciousness  of  that  freedom,  al- 
though far  away  from  home  and  friends,  in  the 
desolate  wilds  of  Siberia ! 

For   many  hours  after  leaving  the  encamp- 


M 


BY    8EA   AND   LAND. 


71 


ment,  we  proceeded  upon  our  way  toward  the 
interior,  not  pausing'  for  a  8in<5]e  instant,  until 
we  had  travelled  such  a  distance,  that  we  no 
longer  apprehended  pursuit.  By  this  time,  we 
were  nearly  exhausted  with  fatifjue  and  hun- 
ger ;  and  we  now  resolved  to  proceed  no 
farther,  until  we  had  refreshed  ourselves  with 
food  and  rest.  After  a  brief  search,  we  found  a 
sheltered  spot,  and  proceeded  to  adapt  it  to  our 
purpose,  by  hastily  constructing  a  rude  shelter 
of  bushes,  beneath  which  we  might  sleep  with 
comparative  comfort  and  safety. 

We  then  collected  a  quantity  of  dry  wood, 
and  built  a  fire,  whose  grateful  warmth  soon  put 
new  life  and  vigor  into  our  stiffened  and  weary 
limbs.  Our  provisions  were  then  produced, 
and  after  a  comfortable  meal,  we  stretched  our 
wearied  frames  upon  the  frozen  ground,  with 
our  feet  toward  the  fire,  and  our  bodies  shel- 
tered from  the  cold  wind  by  our  wigwam  of 
bushes. 

I  know  not  how  long  wo  slept,  but  it  must 
have  been  many  hours  ;  for  when  we  awoke, 
we  perceived,  by  the  position  of  the  sun  that 
it  was  nearly  noon-day. 

We  felt  greatly  refreshed,  and  would  gladly 
have  started  on   our  return   to  the   coast,   had 


f 


?■  m 


'^^."l    'W.  i 


'% 


I 


u 


^1 


i 


' 


I  i 


.^1 


'•1 


72 


AKCTIC    ROVIXGS, 


we  deemed  it  prudent  ;  but  fearing  lest  our 
companions  had  not  yet  departed,  we  resolv- 
ed to  remain  in  our  present  position  until  the 
following  day. 

Our  second  night  in  this  place,  passed  with- 
out incident  of  importance,  although  we  were 
several  times  awakened  by  the  howling  of  the 
wild  beasts,  which  prowled  about  our  encamp- 
ment during  the  whole  night.  Our  fire,  how- 
ever, which  we  took  the  precaution  to  keep 
burning,  prevented  them  from  attacking  us ; 
and,  at  an  early  hour  of  the  morning,  we  turned 
out,  and  having  made  a  hasty  breakfast,  which 
finished  the  last  of  our  provisions,  commenced 
our  journey  towards  the  native  encampment. 

About  noon  we  arrived  at  the  coast,  and  as- 
cending a  small  eminence,  took  a  hasty  obser- 
vation of  both  sea  and  shore,  to  ascertain  if  our 
ship  had  left  the  coast,  and  to  discover  if  pos- 
sible in  what  direction  the  native  encampment 
was  situated.  To  our  great  delight,  no  sail 
was  visible  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach ; 
while  at  a  little  distance  to  the  right  of  us, 
were  seen  the  tents  of  the  natives. 

We  proceeded  immediately  toward  the  en- 
campment, where,  upon  our  arrival,  we  were 
received  by  the  natives  in  a  friendly  manner ; 


I  i 


BY    SEA    ANT)  LAND. 


73 


for  they  probably  sii|)])osc(l  us  to  be  members 
of  some  boat's  crew,  Avho  liad  landed  upon  the 
coast,  and  who  had  strolled  thither  from  mo- 
tives of  curiosity.  At  length,  however,  we 
succeeded  in  informing  them  by  signs,  that  we 
were  deserters, — that  we  had  been  severely 
beaten,  and  otherwise  maltrqtited  on  board  our 
ship,  to  which  we  dared  not  return,  and  that 
we  tlesired  to  return  with  them  to  their  settle- 
ment in  the  interior,  and  claim  their  protection 
until  the  following  season,  when  we  hoped 
to  obtain  a  berth  on  board  some  whale  ship, 
in  which  we  might  return  to  our  own   country. 

Upon  this,  they  held  a  consultation  in  their 
own  language,  during  which  it  was  evident  to 
us,  that  some  were  in  favor  of  granting  our  re- 
quest, while  others  opposed  it ;  but,  at  length, 
they  decided  to  allow  us  to  accompany  them  ; 
whereupon  we  expressed  our  gratitude,  by 
signs,  and  a  most  friendly  feeling  was  soon  es- 
tablished between  us. 

We  spent  the  night  in  one  of  their  tents  ;  and 
on  the  following  morning,  the  encampment  was 
broken  up,  and  the  whole  party,  ourselves  in- 
cluded, took  up  their  line  of  march  for  the  in- 
terior. 

At  this  point,  I  shall  be  compelled  to  make  a 


m  'I 


m 


I 


m 


;i   I 


'   I 


^  i 


74 


ARCTIC   ROVING S, 


brief  digression  from  the  regular  course  of  my 
narmtive,  for  the  purpose  of  informing  the 
reader  of  tlie  means  wliicii  my  father  employed 
upon  learning  that  I  had  deserted  the  ship 
U})on  the  coast  of  Siberia,  to  ascertain  my 
whereabouts  if  living,  or  the  place,  time  and 
manner  of  my  death,  if  otherwise. 

I  shall  devote  the  follow^ing  chapter  to  this 
purpose,  which  seems  necessary  to  the  proper 
arrangement  of  this  work  ;  after  which  I  shall 
resume  the  thread  of  my  narrative,  and  follow 
it,  uninterruptedly,  to  a  conclusion. 


'-    i 

'■     '!' 

1 

>      ii 

■; 

\ 

i 

i     ^ 

' ! 

1 

'  f 

:       '. 

1 
1 

■ 


CHAPTER  V. 


A   PARENT  8    ANXIETY. 


Return  of  tho  Condor  to  tho  Sandwich  Islands — Condemn- 
ation and  aale  at  Honolulu— Return  of  the  t'aptain  and 
Mate  to  the  United  States— Rumors  of  my  abauuoauieut  cir- 
culated at  Now  Bedford — Interview  between  ray  father  and  Cap- 
tain Whitcaido— The  Arrest— Sympathy  of  the  ('ommunity. 

Shortly  after  my  desertion,  the  Condor,  with 
one  thousand  barrels  of  oil,  and  sixteen  thou- 
sand pound  of  bone  on  board — the  result  of 
her  second  season's  fishery — left  the  Okotsk 
Sea,  for  the  Sandwich  Islands. 

The  passage  thither  was  long  and  tedious ; 
for  she  leaked  badly,  and  wns,  altogether,  in  a 
most  unse  a  worthy  condition.  Immcdiutely, 
upon  her  arrival  at  Honolulu,  she  was  con- 
demned and  sold.  Her  crew,  being  paid  off, 
dispersed  in  various  directions.  Some  went 
north  again,  others  remained  among  the  Sand- 
wich Islands,  but  none,  with  the  exception  of 
the  Captain  and  Mate,  returned  to  the  United 
States. 

In  the  meantime,  my  father  had  begun  to  feel 

75 


i  '■'■ 


76 


ARCTIC    ROVINGS, 


i   ^' 


■     i  f 

1 

■  n 

i  i  ^ 

H 

if 

lit 

1 

con  Hid  (Table  anxiety  in  rofjard  to  me,  as  I  had 
found  no  opportunity  of  writinfj^liiin  since  our  de- 
parture from  Honolulu,  previous  to  our  se(;ond 
season  in  ilie  Okotsk  Sea.  His  first  intelli- 
gence in  regard  to  the  Condor,  after  the  recep- 
tion of  my  letters,  was  the  news  of  her  con- 
demnation at  Honolulu  ;  which,  together  with 
a  report  to  the  effect  that  Captain  Whiteside 
had  sailed  for  home,  was  briefly  given  among 
the  marine  intelligence  in  the  public  news- 
papers. 

Upon  this,  he  concluded  that  he  should  re- 
ceive letters  from  me  by  the  Captain  ;  unless, 
indeed,  I  was  already  on  my  way  home  ;  and 
this  conclusion  had  the  effect  to  relieve  his 
mind  of  all  farther  anxiety  in  regard  to  me. 
In  the  course  of  time,  he  learned  that  Captain 
Whiteside  had  arrived  in  New  York,  and  he 
awaited  with  impatience  the  news  which  he 
expected  to  receive  from  him  ;  but  in  this  re- 
spect, he  was  doomed  to  disappointment. 

Previous  to  this,  however,  a  report  had  been 
put  in  circulation  at  New  Bedford,  to  the  effect 
that  I  had  been  left  upon  the  coast  of  Siberia. 
This  coming  to  the  ears  of  my  father,  he  set 
about  tracing  it  to  its  source,  and  soon  discov- 
ered that  it  had  originated  with  a  lady  who 


BY   SEA    AND    LANDo 


77 


14 


had  received  tlie  intclligcnoe  in  a  letter  from 
her  son,  written  in  the  Sandwich  Islands. 

Shortly  after  this,  ('aptain  Whiteside  and 
his  mate  arrived  at  New  Bedford  ;  when  my 
fatlier  immediately,  had  an  interview  with 
them,  demanding  an  explanation  of  the  circum- 
stances attending  my  abandonment  upon  the 
coast  of  an  Arctic  region,  at  the  commence- 
ment of  winter. 

Although,  at  this  interview,  both  the  captain 
and  mate  declared  that  they  knew  of  no  suffi- 
cient cause  foi'  my  desertion,  that  I  had  always 
been  faithful  in  the  performance  of  my  duty  on 
shipboard,  and  that  I  had  been  kindly  treated, 
they  subsequently  prevaricated ;  and  my  father, 
after  due  investigation,  became  satisfied  that  I 
had  been  maltreated  on  board  the  Condor.  It 
did  not  appear  reasonable  to  him,  that  a  boy, 
only  seventeen  years  of  age,  with  strong  home 
attachments,  and  a  large  circle  of  affectionate 
relatives,  anxiously  awaiting  his  return,  should 
have  deserted  his  ship  upon  the  eve  of  her 
homeward  passage,  particularly,  in  that  remote 
corner  of  the  globe. 

My  father  was  ever  a  man  of  action ;  and,  in 
this  case,  instead  of  wasting  time  in  useless  re- 
pinings,  he  immediately  proceeded  to  take  all 


'15; 


il 


I, 


fly      '■ 


% 


lii 


* 


% 


78 


ARCTIC     ROVINGS, 


'         I'    r 


possible  measiirca  for  ascertaining  my  where- 
abouts, if  still  living,  and  eilecting  my  rescue 
from  exile. 

In  pursuance  of  this  design,  he  caused  an 
advertisement  to  be  inserted  in  the  New  Bed- 
ford shipping  list,  which  circulates  among 
whalers  in  every  part  of  the  worhl,  in  which  he 
besouglit  shipmasters  bound  to,  or  cruising  in 
the  Okotsk  Sea,  and  Shanter  Bay,  to  use  all 
possible  means  to  ascertain  my  fate,  or  assist 
me  to  return  home,  if  I  had  not  already  per- 
ished of  hung  ,r  and  cold. 

He  also  wrote  to  the  United  States  Secreta- 
ry of  State,  to  the  American  Consuls  at  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  and  many  other  places,  and  to 
all  from  w  horn  he  could  hope  to  gain  the  slight- 
est possible  information  in  regard  to  my  proba- 
ble fare.  In  short,  he  labored  in  tJie  most  inde- 
fatigable manner  to  effect  the  rescue  of  his  lost 
son  ;  and  his  zeal  in  my  behalf  excited  the  ud- 
miration  of  his  frieids  and  the  community  in 
which  he  lived,  so  much,  that  hundreds  of  com- 
parative strang'^rs  came  forward,  and  expressed 
their  willingness  to  aid  him  to  the  extent  of 
their  ability  in  his  labor  of  love. 

In  due  time  he  received  replies  to  his  letters 
to   the    Secretary   of  State,    and    the   United 


'ff  "I 


BY    SEA    AND    T.aND. 


79 


States  consuls,  in  which  the  writers  pledged 
themselves  to  use  wluitever  influence  they  pos- 
sessed in  my  behalf;  promising  to  forward  any 
intelligence  they  might  obtain,  at  the  earliest 
possible  moment. 

Soon  after  his  interview  with  Captain 
Whiteside  and  the  mate  of  the  Condor,  he 
caured  the  former  to  be  arrested,  uj)on  suspi- 
cion of  having  maltreated  and  abused  mc  on 
shipboard  ;  for  although  he  possessed,  as  yet,  no 
positive  proof  that  such  had  been  the  caj^e,  he 
had  already  sufficient  grounds  of  complaint 
against  him  to  justify  a  legal  investigation. 

The  news  of  this  event  spread  far  and  wide 
in  a  most  incredibly  short  time  ;  and  as  soon  as 
the  cause  of  the  captain's  arrest  became  known 
in  the  community,  many  people  came  daily  to 
my  father's  residence  and  his  place  of  business, 
to  hear  from  his  ov:n  lips  the  story  of  my  mis- 
fortunes, and  the  fate  to  which  I  had  been 
ab'uidoned.  Men,  women,  and  my  former  as- 
sociates, came  to  sympathize  with  him  nnd 
min<f:le  their  tears  with  his  as  thev  li»teno(l  fo 
the  story  of  my  w^rongs  ;  and  even  strangers 
manifested  as  much  heartfelt  sympathy  as  if  the 
victim  of  injustice  had  been  unitid  to  tliem  by 
the  ties  of  kindred. 


ill" 


m 

tm 

:i 

m 

_:unt»tm>titiam 


80 


ARCTIC    ROVINGS, 


As  my  father  had  not,  at  this  time,  sufficient 
evidence  to  satisfy  his  lawyer,  it  was  decided 
to  dehiy  the  trial  until  the  return  of  some  of 
the  Condor's  crew,  or  until  more  conclusive 
evidence  could,  in  some  manner,  be  obtained ; 
and  the  captain,  after  giving  satisfactory  bail, 
was  set  at  liberty. 

lie  soon  afterwards  went  to  sea  in  the  ship 
C.  W.  Morgan,  his  attorney  having  agreed  to 
appear  for  him  at  the  time  of  trial.  In  due 
time  the  case  was  submitted  to  legal  investiga- 
tion, the  result  of  which  will  be  made  known 
to  the  reader  in  the  concluding  chapter  of  this 
work. 


I, 


CHAPTER  VI. 


^       F 


-I 

If 

)  1 


i 


A    JOURNEY    IN    THE    ARCTIC    WILDERNESS. 

Tl>c  Yukoot  Indians— A  Despatcli  fioui  the  Governor— A  Journey 
in  the  W'1'lorness— Nif^ht  Encampment  -An  Alarm— A  Bear  Fight 
— Victory— Division  of  the  Spoils — Arrival  at  Oudskoi 

The  Indians,  upon  whose  tender  mercies  my 
companion  and  myself  had  thrown  ourselves, 
after  taking  "French  leave  "  of  our  shi[)mates, 
were  of  the  tribe  called  Yukoot ;  and,  although 
tlieir  large  stature  and  coarse  features  gave 
tliein  an  appearance  of  ferocity,  w^e  soon  found 
them  to  be  of  a  most  peaceful,  humane,  and 
kindly  disposition. 

Immediatelv  after  our  arrival  at  their  en- 
canipment,  they  departed  from  the  coast  as  I 
have  previously  stated,  and  journeyed  toward 
their  settlement,  which  was  situated  some  fif- 
teen miles  in  the  interior,  and  upon  the  bank  of 
the  Oudskoi  River.  At  this  settlement  we  re- 
mained one  week ;  and,  in  the  meantime,  our 
native  protectors  dispatched  a  possengerto  the 
Russian  Governor  of  the  province,  who  resided 


't    hi 


mm 


St     1 


<»«n;"-i  r«  ivmriv,.- t^!,iisrrx-i,nftfUitai»fa 


82 


ARCTIC   ROVINGS, 


I- 


h     \ 


0 


f' 


at  the  villai^e  of  Oiidskoi, — a  penal  settlement 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Eussian  Govern- 
ment, situated  upon  the  bank  of  the  river,  at  a 
distance  of  eighty  miles  from  the  mouth, — for 
the  purpose  of  learning  what  disposal  they 
should  make  of  their  new  proteges. 

-^  V  answer  was  promptly  returned,  directing 
that  we  should  be  sent  to  the  villacje  of  Oud- 
skoi ;  and,  accordingly,  as  soon  as  preparations 
had  been  made  for  the  journey,  we  took  our 
departure  for  that  place  accompanied  by  an  es- 
cort of  four  natives. 

As  the  journey  was  too  long  to  be  made  in  a 
single  day,  we  travelled  only  about  half  of  tho 
distance  on  the  first  day,  and  then  encamj^ed 
for  the  night  on  the  bank  of  the  river. 

We  constructed  a  rude  shelter,  similar  to  the 
one  beneath  which  we  had  spent  our  first  night 
in  the  wilderness,  after  leaving  our  companions 
upon  the  coast.  Having  then  prepared  a  sleep- 
ing place,  we  built  a  fire,  and  proceeded  to  re- 
fresh ourselves,  after  the  fatigues  of  the  day, 
with  food  and  rest. 

The  provisions  which  we  had  brought  with 
us,  consisted  of  dried  tisl:,  large  pieces  of  raw 
horse  flesh,  and  small  round  cakes  of  rye  meal, 
baked  very   hard,  and   somewhat   resembling 


BY    SEA   AND    LAND. 


83 


■I 


ship  bii^cuits.  Both  the  fish  and  horse  flesh 
were  devoured  by  the  natives  i^aw  ;  but  neither 
Tohnan  nor  myself  had,  as  yet,  been  able  to 
overcome  our  disgust  at  the  bare  thought  of 
eating  uncooked  flesh,  and  we,  accordingly, 
broiled  our  portion  of  the  horse  meat  upon  a 
bed  of  coals. 

We  found  our  steaks,  when  prepared  in  this 
manner,  to  be  delicious ;  being  nuich  more 
juicy  and  tender  than  the  beef  of  more  civilized 
countries.  We  could  not,  however,  induce  the 
natives  to  partake  of  it,  as  they  preferred  to  eat 
the  flesh  raw,  cutting  thick  slices  and  lumps  of 
clear  fat  from  the  body  of  the  horse,  which 
they  devoured  with  as  keen  a  relish,  and  as 
greedily,  as  I  was  wont  to  devour  my  mother's 
mince  pies,  when  a  boy  at  home. 

The  fish,  of  which  we  had  an  ample  store, 
had  been  procured  by  the  party  of  natives, 
upon  whose  mercy  we  had  thrown  ourselves, 
after  our  desertion,  during  their  sojourn  upon 
the  coast.  These  had  been  taken  by  means  of 
spears  and  nets — both  of  which  articles,  al- 
though of  rude  construction,  answered  the  pur- 
pose for  which  they  were  intended,  in  a  very 
satisfactory  manner.  As  fast  as  the  fish  were 
caught,  they  were  prepared  for  winter  use,  by 


I;  I 


T    ■,! 


.;:f' 


t 


84 


ARCTIC    ROVING  S, 


beinf;^  cleaned  and  split  open,  and  then  spread 
out  in  the  sun  to  dry,  after  Ix.ing  slightly  sprin- 
kled with  salt,  in  the  same  manner  that  codfish 
are  cured  on  the  shores  of  the  old  Bay  State. 

In  this  manner,  the  natives  procure,  during 
the  short  Arctic  summer,  a  good  supply  of  fish, 
with  which  to  eke  out  their  scanty  stock  of 
provisions  during  the  winter  ;  and  well  it  is  for 
them  that  nature  has  given  them  access  to  the 
ocean  storehouse — for  tliev  would  otherwise  be 
in  frequent  danger  of  want  and  starvation 
through  the  dreary  winter  of  their  desolate  and 
unproductive  climate. 

After  our  native  guides  had  satisfied  their 
appetites  by  devouring  raw  horse  flesh,  in  quan- 
tities which  would  huve  caused  the  eyes  of  the 
most  inveterate  glutton,  of  warmer  regions,  to 
protrude  with  astonishment,  they  stretched 
themselves  on  their  backs  beside  the  fire,  and 
(not  having  the  slightest  fear  of  nightmare  or 
troublesome  dreams,  before  their  eyes),  were 
Boon  lost  to  all  consciousness  of  earthly  things 
in  that  blissful,  mysterious  region,  the  "  Land 
of  Nod." 

It  had  been  previously  decided  that  a  watch 
should  be  kept  during  the  night ;  and  that  we 
might  share  equally  in  this  duty,  we  had  divid- 


BY    SEA   AND   LAND. 


85 


ed  the  night  into  six  watches,  of  two  hours 
each,  that  is  to  say,  as  near  as  we  could  judge, 
for  it  will  be  remembered  that  we  were  no 
longer  in  the  land  of  clocks  and  watches,  and 
had  arranged  the  order  in  which  we  should  be 
calJed  to  relieve  each  other  by  lot. 

The  first  watch  fell  to  Tolman,  and  the 
second  to  myself.  After  conversing  for  a  short 
time  with  my  companion,  upon  the  events  of 
the  past  few  days,  and  our  future  prospects,  I 
lay  down  by  the  side  of  our  native  guides,  and 
was  soon  fast  asleep. 

In  due  time,  I  was  awakened  from  a  pleasant 
dream  of  home,  by  my  companion,  who,  after 
charging  me  to  keep  the  fire  burning  brightly, 
and  not,  on  any  ac(;ount,  relax  my  vigilance  for 
an  instant,  as  he  had  heard  the  howliLg  of  wild 
beasts  in  the  immediate  vicinity  but  a  short 
time  before,  exchanged  places  with  me,  and 
stretched  himself  on  the  ground  for  a  comfort- 
able sleep. 

This  w  amino;  and  the  recollection  of  the  bliss- 
ful  dream  which  had  been  so  suddenly  and 
painfully  dispelled,  served  to  drive  away  any 
feelintv  of  drowsiness  that  I  mio;ht  otherwise 
have  felt ;  and  after  replenishing  the  fire,  I 
seated  myself  upon  a  smooth  rock,  close  to  the 


r-.i 


1  ^. 


!■'■' 


"I'iiiriiiti 


firT»-""T»-* 


t    ! 


l-\ 


' 


1 


86 


ARCTIC    ROVTNGS, 


open  side  of  our  wigwam,  and  spent  the  first 
hour  of  uiy  lonely  vigil  in  a  kind  of  waking 
dream,  in  which  bright  memories  of  the  past 
were  mingled  with  a  feeling  of  sadness,  as  I 
thought  of  my  friends  at  home,  and  pictured 
the  ^7;nef  whicli  the  news  of  my  abandonment 
in  tb  is  remote  corner  of  the  globe,  would  cause 
theUi. 

And  then  again,  my  spirits  rose,  as  fancy 
painted  fair  pictures  of  that  future  time,  when, 
God  sparing  my  life,  and  preserving  me  from 
the  dangers  which  beset  me,  I  should  return 
once  more  to  my  dear  native  land,  and  the  be- 
loved friends  at  home  ;  or  enjoyed  again,  in 
memory,  the  joys  of  the  past,  and  the  peaceful 
happy  years  of  my  childhood, — 

*'  Thus  in  the  stilly  night, 
E'er  slumber's  chain  has  bound  me, 
Fond  memory  brings  the  light, 
Of  other  days  around  me." 

At  the  commencement  of  my  watch,  I  had 
resolved  that  nothing  should  te-mpt  me  to  relax 
my  vigilance,  until  relieved  from  duty,  but  it 
was  not  long  before  I  had  wandered  so  far  into 
the  realms  of  the  ideal  as  to  lose  all  conscious- 
ness of,  or  interest  in  the  things  of  the  real ;  at 
length  a  feeling  of  drowsiness,  which  I  had  not 
the   power  to  resist,  began  to  creep  over  me. 


•^if 


BY    SEA    AND   LAND. 


87 


In  short,  I  fell  asleep  at  my  post,  and  slum- 
bered soundly  for,  I  knew  not  how  many  hours, 
but  long  enough,  at  all  events,  to  allow  my  lire 
to  burn  out,  leaving  nothing  to  mark  the  place 
where  it  had  been,  but  a  bed  of  smouldering 
ashes. 

1  was  awakened,  at  length,  by  a  sound  which 
chilled  the  blood  in  my  veins,  and  almost  caused 
my  hair  to  stand  on  end,  and  which  even  now, 
I  shudder  to  think  of!  It  was  the  fearful  howl 
of  a  wild  beast  in  the  very  act  of  seizing  his 
j)rey !  In  an  instant  I  was  wide  awake  and 
able  to  comprehend  all.  While  I  had  slept  the 
fire  had  gone  out,  in  consequence  of  which  the 
bears,  which  had  been  prowling  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, had  approached,  and  eurr(iunded  our 
encampment. 

The  first  object  which  met  my  astonished 
gaze,  as  I  opened  my  eyes,  was  a  huge  grizly 
bear,  crouched  upon  its  hind  legs,  and  in  the 
very  act  of  springing  upon  one  of  our  native 
guards,  as  he  lay  asleep  and  helpless  upon  the 
ground. 

For  a  single  instant,  I  stood  paralyzed  with 
surprise  and  fear,  and  incapable  of  the  slightest 
motion,  but  the  next  moment  my  presence  of 
mind,  which  seldom  entirely   forsakes  me,    re- 


» 


-''•^'mwrrm^jsifrm 


II 


1 ' 


'r  li 


l^t 


88 


ARCTIC    ROVING S, 


turned  ;  and,  actin<^  upon  mj  first  impul'^c,  I 
uttered  a  shout,  wliich  not  only  awakened  my 
companions,  but  startled  the  bear  so  nuich  that 
he  pautied  in  the  very  act  of*  seizing  his  prey, 
and  tunned  his  jL]^lariii<]j  eyes  full  upon  me. 

In  a  moment  more  he  seemed  to  have  changed 
his  original  design,  and  had  crouched  again  for 
a  spnng ;  but  this  time  the  victim  would  have 
been  myself,  had  he  lived  to  take  the  fatal  leap. 
I  saw  my  danger  at  once,  and  instinctively 
grasped  one  of  the  pistols,  which  it  will  be  re- 
membered I  had  taken  from  the  second  mate's 
boat,  and  which,  I  had  fortunately,  loaded  and 
placed  in  my  belt  at  the  commencement  of  my 
watch. 

Not  an  instant  was  to  be  lost :  but  although 
fully  conscious  of  my  danger,  my  nerves  were 
firm  and  my  thoughts  clear  and  collected  ;  and 
quick  as  the  lightning's  flash,  I  raised  the  pis- 
tol, took  hasty  but  accurate  aim  at  the  mon- 
ster's glistening  eye,  and  pulled  the  trigger. 

To  the  aiitonishment  and  delight  of  all  who 
witnessed  the  scene  —  including  even  myself — 
the  dying  howl  of  the  monster  instantly  follow- 
ed the  report  of  the  pistol ;  and  ere  the  smoke 
had  fairly  cleared  away,  the  ferocious  beast 
was    writhing   in    the   death-struggle    at    our 


■a 
If 


ill 


BY    SEA    AND    LAXD. 


89 


o 


le 

r 

lr 


feet.  My  liasty  aim  had  been  true,  —  my 
bullet  had  entered  at  the  eye,  ^^ierclng  the  brain 
of  the   bear,  and  causinj^  ahnost  instant  death. 

Our  danger,  however,  was  not  yet  over ;  for 
there  were  other  bears  in  the  immediate  viein- 
ity,  and  we  could  see  their  eyes  glistening  like 
stars  in  the  darkness  which  surrounded  our 
camp,  as  they  stealthily  approached  us,  as  if 
meditating  a  sudden  and  simultaneous  attack. 

No  time  was  now  to  be  lost  in  jxuardinjj 
against  this  fearful  danger,  and  preparing  for  a 
hand  to  hand  battle,  if  need  be,  with  these 
fierce  and  hungry  monsters  ;  and  Tolman  and 
myself  held  a  hasty  consultation  as  to  what 
should  be  done,  while  loading  our  pistols;  for 
although  the  natives  were,  doubtless  more 
compecent  than  ourselves,  to  judge  as  the  most 
proper  course  to  pursue,  —  it  will  be  remem- 
bered that  we  could  neither  understand  their 
language,  nor  they  ours ;  consequently,  we 
were  compelled  to  trust  to  ourselves  in  this 
emergency. 

The  natives,  however,  seemed  to  compre- 
hend our  design,  and  tacitly  to  acquiesce  in  it ; 
for,  without  wasting  time  in  striving  to  com- 
municate with  us,  they  immediately  prepared 
to  assist  and  protect  us  in  the  coming  struggle. 


1 


'M 


I 


^, 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


■  50    ■^~ 
lit 


125 


2.2 


-  Iia 


1.8 


IL25  i_U  iii.6 


V] 


VQ 


7. 


>  > 


'/ 


W 


fliotDgrapMc 

Sdaices 

Corporation 


23  WIST  MAIN  STREET 

WBBSTEE.N.Y.  14580 

(716)S72-4S03 


4^0 


% 


90 


ARCTIC    ROVINGS, 


Hi 


Three  of  them  seized  their  short  spears  —  their 
only  weapons  of  offence  or  defence — and  placed 
themselves  in  advance  of  Tolman  and  myself, 
with  the  evident  intention  of  protecting  us 
while  in  the  ac  of  loading,  and  of  coming  to 
the  rescue  in  case  our  bullets  should  miss  their 
aim,  and  wound  without  killing  the  fierce  crea- 
tures, while  the  fourth  immediately  set  about 
re-kindling  the  extinct  camp-fire. 

These  preparations  were  made  in  much  less 
time  than  I  have  consumed  in  describing  them  ; 
but  not  an  instant  too  soon  for  our  safety. 
We  had  scarcely  finished  loading  our  pistols, 
and  taken  our  position  in  the  rear  of  the  na- 
tives, when  a  huge  she  bear  bounded  forward 
from  the  covert  of  bushes  in  which  she  had 
been  reconnoitring  the  camp  ground,  crouched 
for  an  instant  upon  her  hind  legs,  and  uttering 
a  fearful  yell,  sprang  with  the  rapidity  of 
lightning  upon  us. 

Nothwithstanding  the  impetuosity  of  the  at- 
tack, our  three  native  guards  stood  firm  as  a 
column  of  trained  infantry,  and  received  the 
infuriated  beast  upon  the  points  of  their  spears, 
which  entered  her  breast  to  a  considerable 
depth  and  brought  her  to  the  ground;  but 
not,  however,  without  breaking  the  spears, 
and  prostrating  the  natives  as  she  fell. 


% 


BY   SEA  AND   LAND. 


91 


At  this  moment  I  brought  my  pistol  to  bear, 
and  fired ;  but  the  violent  struggles  of  the 
wounded  bcr^st  had  prevented  me  from  taking 
an  accurate  aim^  and,  although  my  bullet 
pierced  her  side,  it  only  served  to  enrage  her 
the  more,  without  disabling  her  in  the  slightest 
degree.  Tolman  was  about  to  discharge  his 
pistol  also,  when  his  arm  was  seized  by  one  of 
the  natives  who  had  regained  his  feet,  and  he 
was  soon  made  to  comprehend  that  he  must  re- 
serve his  fire  for  a  more  pressing  emergency. 

By  this  time  the  other  two  natives  had  es 
capcd,  as  it  were,  from  the  very  claws  of  the 
bear  which  still  rolled  and  struggled  upon  the 
ground  in  agony,  driving  the  spears  still  farther 
into  her  breast  with  every  motion,  and  rising 
to  their  feet,  had  procured  other  spears  from 
the  wigwam. 

By  the  time  the  creature  had  succeeded  in 
regaining  her  feet^  they  were  again  prepared 
for  combat,  and  a  second  time  received  her 
upon  their  spears.  As  before,  the  spears 
snapped  like  pipe  stems,  and  bear  and  natives 
rolled  upon  the  ground  in  a  promiscuous  heap ; 
but  this  time  the  infuriated  animal  succeeded 
in  planting  her  claws  deep  into  the  leg  of  one 
of  the  natives  as  she  felL 


i 

I^B 

i 

r^^^^K 

i 

if 

^m 

i'^Hi 

1 

tfl 

92 


ARCTIC   uoviycs, 


•r;i 


i  tr   •■ 


f^    « 


->** 
i 


The  poor  victim  gave  forth  the  most  heart- 
rending cries  of  agony  as  the  claws  of  the  bear 
penetrated  hia  flesh ;  but  several  moments 
necessarily  elapsed  before  his  companions 
could  come  to  his  rescue  ;  and  in  the  meantime 
the  infuriated  beast  had  lacerated  his  leg  in  the 
most  shoeking  manner.  Indeed,  she  would 
probably  have  succeeded  in  killing  him,  had 
not  Tolman  discharged  his  pistol  at  the  very 
"nick  of  time,"  with  so  good  an  aim  that  the 
ball  entered  the  monster's  head,  just  below  the 
ear,  and  caused  her  to  relinquish  her  grasp 
upon  her  victim  and  fall  powerless  to  the  earth. 

The  companions  of  the  wounded  man  imme- 
diately rushed  upon  the  beast  followed  by  my- 
self, armed  with  a  hatchet  which  I  had  hastily 
procured,  and  with  which  I  followed  up  the 
work  of  Tolman's  pistol,  by  dealing  the  bear 
several  blows  upon  the  head,  which  quickly  de- 
prived her  of  the  power  of  doing  further  mis- 
chief. 

A  few  thrusts  of  the  spears  completed  the 
work  of  destruction ;  and  by  this  time,  the 
bright  blaze  of  the  re-kindled  fire  had  lit  up 
the  scene  :  frightening  the  other  bears  back  to 
their  coverts,  and  revealing  to  us  the  inanimate 
bodies  of  our  two  prizes. 


I 


t 


BY    SEA    AND   LAND. 


98 


Before  proceeding  to  examine  the  carcases, 
however,  we  turned  our  attention  to  our  woun- 
ded companion,  who  lay  groaning  with  pain, 
and  completely  helpless,  by  the  side  of  his  de- 
funct assailant.  We  found  that  his  wounds, 
although  deep  and  painful,  were  not  dangerous  ; 
and  after  binding  up  his  lacerated  limb  with 
portions  of  our  own  clothing,  we  prepared  a 
bed  of  leaves,  at  the  inner  extremity  of  our 
wigwam,  for  the  sufferer,  and  made  him  as 
comfortable  as  was  possible  under  the  circum- 
stances. 

We  then  commenced  the  work  of  divestinsr 
our  trophies  of  their  valuable  skins  ;  and  before 
this  task  was  completed,  a  bright  streak  in  the 
eastern  horizon  had  given  indications  of  the 
approach  of  day. 

To  the  surprise  of  both  Tolman  and  myself, 
our  native  companions,  after  holding  a  brief 
consultation  among  themselves,  expressed,  by 
signs,  their  intention  of  giving  up  all  cl  lim  in 
the  bear  skins  ;  thus,  v'rtually  presenting  to 
us  these  valuable  gifts.  The  skins  were  unus- 
ually large,  and  the  fur  extremely  soft  and 
thick  ;  and  in  giving  them  to  us,  the  natives  ex- 
hibited a  feeling  of  generosity  and  good  will, 
which   would  do  credit  to  many   who   pride 


am: 
i 


94 


ARCTIC    EG  VINOS, 


y^  i!!^' 


i 


■H    i 


themselves  upon  their  civilization,  and  social 
refinement.  During  our  sojourn  in  the  wilds 
of  Siberia,  these  bear  skins  were  to  us  a  com- 
fort and  protection,  to  an  extent  which  the  in- 
habitants of  warmer  regions  can  scarcely  con- 
ceive of. 

After  the  bears  had  been  divested  of  their 
skins,  we  proceeded  to  cut  off  the  choicest  por- 
tion of  the  carcases  with  the  intention  of  taking 
with  us  as  much  meat  as  we  could  carry,  leav- 
ing the  remainder  in  charge  of  one  of  the  na- 
tives, who  had  already  expressed  his  desire  to 
remain  at  the  encampment  until  the  return  of 
our  escort,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  care  of  his 
wounded  companion. 

Everything  having  been  satisfactorily  arran- 
ged, we  partook  of  a  hearty  and  comfortable 
breakfast  of  beards  meat ;  the  natives,  as  usual, 
devouring  the  flesh  raw,  while  Tolman  and  my- 
self rendered  our  portion  not  only  palatable 
but  delicious,  by  broiling  it  in  the  form  of  steaks 
upon  a  bed  of  coals. 

We  then  bade  farewell  to  our  wounded  com- 
panion and  his  kind-hearted  protector,  express- 
ing our  kindly  feelings  towards  them  as  weU  as 
we  were  able,  and,  with  packs  of  bear's  meat 
upon  our  shoulders,  we  took   up  our  line  of 


BY    SEA   AND   LAND. 


95 


march  for  Oiulskoi,  where  we  arrived  just  at 
sunset,  and  were  recer,»ed  with  a  warm  wel- 
come, and  many  expressions  of  sympathy  and 
kindly  fellow  feelings,  by  the  semi-civilized  and 
exiled  inhabitants  of  this  Siberian  wilderness.   ' 


:l 


!» 


,;.   a 


It    ^ 


i»-»U      ■     !' 


I*    it 


^i'     J 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

A     WINTER    HOME    IN    SIBERIA. 

The  village  of  Oudskoi  —  Going  to  work  —  Disappointment  —  Going 
to  liouse-koepina: — Tlio  coranionccment  of  winter  —  Description 
of  tlie  climate  — Incident  of  sea-life. 

On  the  morning  following  our  arrival  at  the 
settlement  of  Oudskoi,  the  inhabitants  met  for 
the  purpose  of  holding  a  consultation  in  regard 
to  the  manner  in  which  they  couM  best  provide 
for  the  necessities  of  their  American  guests. 
Tlie  result  of  this  council  was  made  known  to 
us  by  a  Russian  convict,  who  had  acquired  a 
slight  knowledge  of  the  English  language,  by 
intercourse  with  English  and  American  sailors 
in  Russian  ports. 

It  appears  that  they  wished  to  give  us  our 
choice  of  two  things,  viz :  to  live  in  common, 
with  them,  working  as  they  did,  and  living  as 
they  lived,  or  to  live  alone,  and  be  put  upon  a 
short  allowance  of  provisions,  as  their  supplies 
were,  necessarily,  limited. 

I  should  have  preferred  the   latter   mode    of 


BY    SEA    AND    LAND. 


97 


our 

ion, 

as 

|n   a 

blies 

of 


Hvlurr ;  ^iit  Tulinai'i  dochircd  that  lio  would  soon- 
cr  ticcept  the  i'onuc  r  Ici-m:;  tluiii  live  Ujjon  short 
allowiuice  ;  and  1  IbivrcKl  to  express  tliid  preler- 
cnce,  lest  my  generous  j)rotectors  sliould  mis- 
construe my  desire  to  live  by  myself  into  a  feel- 
ing of  superiority  to  them,  which  caused  me  to 
avoid  their  society,  and  which,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, would  have  been  most  ungrateful 
and  absurd. 

Accordingly,  both  Tolman  and  myself  ex- 
pressed our  willingness  to  become  members  of 
their  connnunity,  and  co-laborers  upon  an  equal 
tooting  with  themselves,  and,  in  order  to  make, 
if  possible,  a  favorable  "  first  impression,  "  de- 
sired that  we  mio'ht  be  set  at  work  forthwith. 

They  seemed  greatly  pleased  at  our  decision, 
and  in  answer  to  our  request  for  employment, 
informed  us  that  the  only  work  which  they 
could  give  us,  at  present,  was  cutting  wood, 
which  labor  we  might  commence  as  soon  as  we 
pleased. 

Upon  this,  we  prepared  ourselves  for  labor, 
without  delay,  and  having  bade  farewell  to  the 
two  natives,  who  had  escorted  us  hither,  and 
who  were  in  readiness  to  depart  for  their  home, 
commenced  the  work  of  felling  spruce  and  fir 
trees,  and  preparing   them  for  fuel.     To  my 


,1 


m  :i 


f 


98 


AIICTIC    ROVINGS, 


great  d'lpappointnient,  liowcvor,  T  poon  found 
that  the  wound  upon  niy  Hide,  inflicted  by  the 
Captain,  aa  I  have  prcviout^ly  stated,  imper- 
atively forbade  my  performing  severe  phy- 
sical labor  ;  and,  after  working  for  two  hours  in 
great  pain,  and  with  the  utmost  difficulty,  I 
was  compelled  to  desist,  and  retire  to  an  unoc- 
cupied hut,  where  I  lay  for  the  remainder  of  the 
day  in  a  state  of  complete  exhaustion,  and  un- 
able to  rise,  or  even  to  move,  without  the  most 
excruciating  pain. 

This  unexpected  and  disagreeable  event,  of 
course,  frustrated  my  plan  of  joining  the  other 
inhabitants  of  the  village  in  their  labors,  and 
sharing  their  home  and  fare  ;  and  compelled 
me  to  accept  their  first  offer. 

As  soon  as  I  had  succeeded  in  making  them 
understand  my  desire,  and  the  cause  which  led 
me  to  change  my  mind  in  regard  to  my  mode 
of  life,  they  placed  a  small  hut  at  my  disposal, 
which,  although  somewhat  out  of  repair,  might 
b(3  easily  made  snug  and  comfortable  for  the 
winter  ;  and  I  immediately  commenced  to  re- 
pair and  improve  it,  with  the  design  of  making, 
not  only  a  comfortable,  but  a  pleasant  dwelling, 
which  should  resemble,  as  far  as  possible,  in  its 
internal  arrangements,  a  New  England  cottage. 


BY    SEA  AKD   LAND. 


90 


Q-ht 

the 


ige, 


In  the  fii-f't  place,  I  carefully  closed  up  all 
the  cracks  and  o[)enIiigs  in  the  sides  and  roof, 
through  which  the  icy  north  wind  niioht  have 
found  an  entrance  ;  and  then,  as  no  provision 
Lad  been  made  ibr  wanning  the  hut,  I  pro- 
ceeded to  build  a  rough  fire-j)lace  and  chlnniey, 
with  flat  stones,  which  I  collected  with  consid- 
erable labor  and  difficulty,  and  cemented  to- 
gether with  clay. 

This  labor  occupied  a  whole  week,  for,  not- 
withstanding I  kept  a  fire  burning  in  the  inte- 
rior of  my  chimney  from  the  commencement  of 
the  work,  I  found  it  almost  impossible  to  keep 
my  clay  from  freezing  as  fast  as  I  could  spread 
it. 

At  length,  however,  the  task  was  com- 
pleted ;  and,  although  my  chimney  was  far 
from  being  a  masterpiece  of  the  masonic  art, 
it  still  answered  my  purpose  very  well,  and 
added  not  a  little  to  my  comfort  during  the  fol- 
lowing winter. 

Having  finished  my  chimney,  I  next  pro- 
ceeded to  construct  a  sleeping  place,  and  a  few 
rude  articles  of  furniture,  with  which  to  give 
my  dwelling  a  comfortable,  home-like  appear- 
ance. The  former  task  I  acco»^^r>lishcd  without 
difficulty,  by  making  a  rough,  but  substantial 


100 


AUCTIC    ROVINGS, 


*:     4 


n 


i.f  - 


I*  ' 


framework  from  tlu;  unlicwn  limbs  of  t]ie  fir- 
troc,  raiisiiiii:  it  a  foot  or  more;  from  the  tri'oimd 
by  j)bicInLi;  the  cornerri  upon  four  Hat  ptoncs  of 
e([ual  height,  and  fastcniii!!;  slender  and  clastic 
boughs  in  the  form  of  transverse  bars  or  slats 
across  the  frame.  Upon  this  i  j)l]ed  a  (juantity 
of  dried  leaves  and  grass  wlilch  J  i)rocured 
from  the  natives  ;  c:)m[)!eting  the  arrangement 
of  this  essential  article  of  hoMsehold  furniture, 
by  covering  the  bed  of  leaves  with  my  bear 
skin,  which  was  large  enough  to  serve  the 
double  pur[)ose  of  blankets  and  outer  covering. 
A  rough  table,  a  box  or  horizontal  closet  in 
which  to  keep  my  provision,  a  few  shelves,  and 
several  camp-stools,  comj)leted  my  invcniory 
of  furniture ;  and  when  I  had  arranged  these 
articles  in  proper  order,  and  fiu'nished  my 
shelves  wdth  wooden  dishes,  platters,  and 
spoons,  and  drinking  vess^cls  of  bircli  bark,  and 
had  built  l  cheerful  fire  in  my  rude  grate,  I 
could,  by  giving  loose  rein  to  my  iry agination, 
almost  fancy  myself  in  the  kitchen  of  some 
humble  New  England  cottage  ;  and  the  reader 
may  rest  assured  that  my  heart  swelled  with 
gratitude  to  God  for  His  mercies  toward  me, 
as  I  compared  my  present  comfortable  })osition, 
with  the  fate  that  mii>;ht  have  been  mine  in  that 


e, 


n, 

at 


BV    SKA    AM)    LAND. 


101 


dcsol.itc  rcjT^ion,  but  tor  His  protcctlnjr  care,  or 
tlic  li{'e  ot*  liorrlblc  f  Itivcrv  tVoiu  'which  I  hud 
etcaj)C(l  in  Icaviii;.';  the  Condor. 

Jliivin;:^  thus  set  before  the  reader  a  picture 
of  niv  winter  lionic  in  the  ii;l(ht  ot'tlio  J^iLerian 
forest,  I  sliall  now  |)r<-ceed  to  p^ive  a  brief  de- 
ecri[)tion  of  our  (hii'y  iii'e,  and  the  adventures 
which  befell  me  during  luy  soj«;i'.rn  in  that  Arc- 
tic region. 

On  the  first  day  of  every  nion+h,  I  received 
the  following  allowance  of  provisions,  which, 
whether  sulliclent  or  insuilicient  for  my  ne- 
cessities, must  serve  nie  until  the  first  day  of 
the  next  month,  viz: — Twenty  pounds  of  horse 
flesh ;  ten  pounds  of  rye  meal ;  ten  pounds  of 
fish. 

«  To  this  w^as  added  a  quantity  of  bear's  meat, 
when  such  could  be  obtained,  which,  however, 
was  but  seldom ;  and,  as  1  could  never  cat  the 
fish  without  being  made  sick  by  It,  I  was  com- 
pelled to  lose  tliis  part  of  my  allowance,  or  ex- 
change it  with  some  of  my  neighbors  whose 
tastes  were  not  so  fastidious  as  my  own,  for  a 
few  pounds  of  rye  meal,  or  a  lun.p  of  horse 
flesh. 

During  my  residence  In  Liberia,  I  was,  ne- 
cessarily, left  alone  a  great  part  of  the  time,  not 


I 


i  li 


.i 


I: 


11 


i  r 


Jiii^'? 


102 


ARCTIC    ROVINGS, 


being  able,  for  some  months,  to  communicate 
intelligibly  with  the  Eussian  and  native  inhab- 
itants, and  having  but  few  opportunities  of 
holding  intercourse  with  my  friend  Tolman, 
who  was  constantly  employed  with  a  party  of 
Russians  and  natives,  at  a  distance  from  my 
solitary  dwelling. 

Hence,  we  seldom  met ;  and  if,  in  the  fol- 
lowing pages,  I  seldom  allude  to  him  who  had 
been  a  good  ship-mate  and  a  kind  friend,  as 
well  as  a  brave  and  faithful  companion  in  the 
hours  of  danger,  the  reader  will  understand 
that  I  do  not  neglect  him  from  any  feeling  of 
unfriendliness,  but,  simply,  because  our  adven- 
tures in  the  wilds  of  Siberia  were,  of  necessity, 
separate  and  distinct ;  and,  as  the  pui'pose  of 
this  work  is  simply  to  give  a  narrative  of  my 
own  personal  adventures,  I  do  not  feel  at  lib- 
erty to  introduce  anything  not  directly  pertain- 
ing to   my  subject,  and  the  end  which  1  have 


in  view. 


Before  I  had  completed  the  arrangement  of 
my  dwelling,  the   weather  had  become  intense- 
ly   cold  ;  and    the  severe   and   constant   labo 
which  I  was  compelled  to   perform,  in  order  t 
finish  my  hut  before  the    snow  and  ice  shoul 
put  an  end  to  my   operations,  inflamed  and  ii 


\4 


BY    SEA   AND   LAND. 


103 


ritated  the  wound  in  my  side  to  such  a  degree, 
that  when  I  had  made  everything  snug  and 
comfortable,  and  tlie  necessity  for  exertion  no 
longer  existed,  the  re-action  completely  pros- 
trated me,  and  for  several  -weeks  following, 
I  was  almost  constantly  confined  to  my  hut. 

Meanwhile  the  weather  daily  grew  colder, 
and  colder,  and  colder,  until  it  really  seemed 
to  me  that  every  created  thing  in  that  frigid 
region,  both  animate  and  inanimate,  must  soon 
be  congealed  into  ice,  and  become  a  portion  of 
th«.  silent  and  frozen  landscape. 

Althouo:h  the  villao:c  of  Oudskoi  is  situated 
in  the  warmest  part  of  Siberia,  that  is  to  say, 
the  south  eastern  corner,  and  in  the  latitude 
of  about  59  degrees  north,  it  is  still  sufficient- 
ly near  to  the  pole  to  be  visited  by  winters  of 
great  length  and  extreme  severity. 

The  winter  season  proper,  commences  about 
the  first  of  October,  and  from  that  time,  the 
weather  increases  in  sevc^itv  for  four  months, 
vdien  it  reaches  the  point  of  greatest  cold.  At 
this  period  of  the  year,  and  indeed,  for  the 
four  months  from  November  to  February,  in- 
clusive, the  thermometer  would  probably  indi- 
cate from  thirty  to  forty  degrees  below  zero ; 
I'lit  a3  there  was  no  iii^tninient  of  tlii^  kind  at 


u 


!• 


! 


i  ( 


Hv 


>»! 


u 


';J»' 

■  1 

. 

i 

r 

/> 

1  ■ 

104 


ARCTIC    ROVING  S, 


Oiulskoi,  during  my  residence  there,  I  am  un- 
able to  speak  with  certainty  upon  this  point. 

The  snows  usually  commence  falling  during 
the  latter  part  of  September,  continuing  and 
increasing  as  the  season  advances,  until  the 
middle  of  winter,  when  its  depth  upon  a  level, 
is  frequently  as  great  as  eight  or  ten  feet ;  and 
remaining  upon  the  ground  until  the  first  of 
May. 

The  ice  commences  to  form  upon  the  sea- 
board in  October ;  and  the  first  formation 
gradually  increases  until  it  reaches  the  thick- 
ness of  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet,  and  extends 
far  out  to  sea,  sometimes  even,  to  the  distance 
of  four  or  five  hundred  miles  ft'om  the  shore. 

In  this  connection  it  may  not  be  impertinent 
to  state  a  fact  which  frequently  surprised  me, 
while  on  board  the  Condor,  and  which  for  a 
long  time,  I  was  unable  to  explain  or  account 
for. 

Many  times,  while  lying  off  and  on  this 
coast,  I  have  observed  at  night-fall,  vast  fields 
of  floating  ice,  extending  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach,  and  completely  surrounding  the 
ship  ;  and  yet,  by  daybreak  on  the  following 
morning,  all  this  ice  would  have  disappeared, 
leaving  not   so  nuuh    as  a   single   floe    or  berg 


ii 


■ 


•or 
o 


BY    SEA   AND   LAXD. 


105 


where  miles  upon  miles  of  floating  ice  had 
covered  the  surface  of  the  sea. 

The  reader  can  well  believe  that  we  were  not 
a  little  ])uzzled  to  account  for  this  mysterious 
circumstance  ;  for,  of  course,  the  ship  was  sub- 
ject to  the  influence  of  changmg  winds  and 
unseen  currents,  equally  with  the  bergs  and 
floes  around  her ;  yet,  while  the  ship  had  re- 
mained stationary,  the  ice  had  vanished,  no 
one  knew  whither,  or  in  what  manner. 

Those  of  the  Condor's  crew,  however,  who 
were  not  superstitious  enough  to  believe  that 
the  ice  had  been  spirited  away  by  father  Nep- 
tune or  his  attendant  gods,  explained  its  dis- 
appearance, by  declaring  that  it  had  sunk. 

I  could  scarcely  credit  this  explanation  at 
first,  although  it  seemed  the  most  reasonable 
that  could  be  given  ;  but  I  was  soon  convinced 
by  ocular  demonstration  that  it  was,  indeed, 
the  true  one. 

On  one  occasion,  during  our  second  summer 
in  the  Okotsk  Sea,  all  hands  were  summoned 
at  daybreak  to  got  the  ship  under  weigh. 
This  labor  had  scarcely  been  completed,  when 
our  look-out  man  gave  notice  of  the  fact  that 
the  ship  Josephine,  of  New  Bedford,  which 
lay  at   anchor  within    half  a  mile  of  us,    had 


li 


f 


: 
■ 


II  ^;f! 


106 


ARCTIC   ROVINGS, 


hoisted  a  blue  flag,  which  signified  that  she 
was  in  need  of  assistance. 

Accordingly  we  hastily  sheeted  home  our 
top-sails,  put  up  the  helm,  squared  the  yards 
and  run  her  alongside  for  the  purpose  of  ren- 
derinnf  aid. 

As  w^e  approached  her  we  perceived  that  she 
was  badly  "  down  by  the  head"  —  that  is  to 
say,  that  her  bows  were  very  deep  in  the  water, 
as  if  she  was  sinking  head  foremost  from  some 
cause  which  was  not  yet  apparent. 

We  lowered  our  boats  as  quickly  as  possible, 
and  hastened  on  board,  where  we  discovered  to 
our  astonishment,  that  she  had  her  starboard 
anchor  down,  and  that  her  whole  crew,  not- 
withstanding they  had  employed  the  heaviest 
purchases  they  coukl  bring  to  bear,  coukl  not 
heave  it  up. 

By  the  utmost  exertions  of  both  her  crew 
and  our  own  at  the  windlass  and  capstan, 
however,  the  anchor  was  at  length  brought 
to  the  surface,  deeply  imbedded  in  a  cake 
of  ice.  The  weight  of  this  ice  was  so  great 
as  to  bury  the  ship's  head  to  the  hawse- 
holes  in  the  water  ;  and,  as  soon  as  we  had  suc- 
ceeded in  cutting  it  free  from  the  anchor,  it  im- 
mediately sunk  again  ;  thuf>  sntisfying  U3  of  the 


BY    SEA   A-ND   LAND. 


107 


fact  that  ice  could  sink,  and  clearing  up  the 
mystery  which  had  so  long  attached  itself  to 
the  sudden  disappearance  of  the  floes  and 
bergs. 

I  have  recorded  this  incident  at  this  point, 
because  I  considered  it  sufficiently  important 
and  remarkable  to  deserve  a  passing  notice  ; 
and  because  I  have  never  seen  a  similar  fact 
mentioned  by  Arctic  voyagers.  Hoping  the 
reader  will  pardon  the  digression,  I  proceed 
with  my  narrative. 

As  I  have  previously  intimated,  the  winter 
season,  in  this  portion  of  the  world,  embraces 
eight  months  of  the  year.  The  remaining  four 
months  are  called  summer,  but  during  a  great 
part  of  this  season,  even,  the  weather  is  colder 
than  that  of  our  New  England  winters,  and  the 
warmest  part  of  the  summer  is  not  sufficiently 
long  to  enable  any  kind  of  vegetation  to  come 
to  perfection  ;  the  few  products  of  the  soil 
raised  by  the  natives,  being  only  of  a  minature 
size,  and  of  a  very  inferior  quality. 

Durino;  the  three  months  from  December  to 
February  inclusive,  the  sun  is  visible  but  two 
hours  in  the  twenty-four,  and  the  nights,  from 
the  brief  twilight  to  the  first  grey  streak  of 
dawn,    are   upwards  of  twenty-one    hours    in 


\ 


f     ; 


108 


ARCTIC   ROVINGS, 


n   ;■ 


r  t. 


length.  Through  these  long  hours  of  dark- 
ness, die  native  inhabitants  of  our  little  settle- 
ment usually  seclude  themselves  in  their  respec- 
tive huts ;  passing  the  time  either  in  sleep,  or 
in  a  state  of  stupid,  passive  inaction. 

In  fact,  their  temperament,  disposition  and 
manner  of  existence,  are  directly  opposite  to 
the  characteristics  of  our  wide-awake,  hard- 
working, and  far-seeing  New  Englanders,  who 
would  contrive,  I  doubt  not,  to  live  in  plenty 
and  even  luxury,  aye,  and  amass  fortunes, 
withal,  where  these  poor  heathen  are  scarcely 
able  to  provide  the  humblest  means  of  prolong- 
ing their  miserable  existence. 

For  many  days  after  the  completion  of  my 
hut,  I  was  confined  to  my  bed  ;  hard  labor  and 
exposure  to  the  weather,  having  caused  my 
w^ound  to  swell  and  become  inflamed  to  such 
a  degree  as  to  considerably  alarm  me.  While 
suffering  in  this  manner,  I  was,  one  day  visited 
by  a  native  whom  I  had  never  before  seen,  who 
seated  himself  by  my  bed-side,  and  having  gone 
through  a  species  of  pantomime  which  I  inter- 
preted to  mean  that  he  was  a  physician  or 
medicine-man,  proceeded  to  examine  my 
wound. 

After  carefully  feeling  the  wound  and   the 


BY    SEA   AND   LAND. 


109 


my 
and 


the 


surroundino;  flesh,  in  precisely  the  manner  of 
the  "medicine  men"  of  my  own  country;  he 
raised  hiy  eyes  to  mine,  looked  as  wise  as  an 
owl,  and,  giving  his  head  the  true  professional 
wag, — which  so  frequently  serves  the  doctor  of 
civilized  nations  the  double  purpose  of  conceal- 
ing his  own  ignorance,  and  impressing  his 
patient  with  a  sense  of  his  great  wisdom, — in- 
formed me  bv  a  second  exhibition  of  dumb 
show,  that  the  wound  contained  purulent  mat- 
ter, and  must  be  opened. 

He  then  produced  a  slender  blade  of  polished 
bone  shaped  somewhat  like  a  dagger,  and,  not- 
withstanding my  reluctance  to  being  operated 
upon  in  this  summary  manner,  which  1  took  no 
pains  to  conceal,  plunged  it,  without  ceremony, 
into  the  inflamed  surface  of  the  swelling. 

To  my  great  surprise,  and  to  the  intense  de- 
light of  the  "medicine  man,"  a  co2)ious  dis- 
charge of  pus  follt/wed  the  withdrawal  of  the 
lancet,  which  ahnost  instantly  relieved  the 
violent  throbbing  pain  which  had  tortured  me 
for  the  pa:st  twenty-four  hours.  Not  satisfied 
with  this,  however,  the  doctor  proceeded,  as 
soon  as  the  discharge  had  ceased,  to  probe  the 
sore  with  a  blunt  pointed  instrument  of  the 
same  material  as  the  lancet,  and  with  which  he 


1 


A. 


p 


110 


AUCTIC    KOVINGS, 


i- 


/;Hf 


J 


11   ■? 


'flU 


![•!! 


(I  I 


^1 


soon  succeeded  in  extracting  several  splinters 
of  bone ! 

These,  he  gave  me  to  understand  were  por- 
tions of  one  of  the  ribs  which  had  been  frac- 
tured by  the  blow  which  I  had  received,  and 
which  my  subsequent  hard  labor  liad  caused  to 
work  into  tlie  flesli,  thereby  causing  an  irrita- 
tion and  a  formation  of  matter. 

He  then  bound  up  tlie  wound  with  great 
care,  and  having  signified  his  intention  of  mak- 
ing a  second  call  on  the  morrow,  and  his  desire 
that  I  should  remain  as  quiet  as  possible  for  the 
present,  departed  with  all  the  dignity  of  a  reg- 
ular M.  D. 

To  my  great  satisfaction,  his  treatmenc  of 
my  wound  effected,  not  only  immediate  relief, 
but  a  comparative  cure,  and  in  a  few  days  I 
was  able  to  leave  my  bed  and  attend  to  my 
household  labors  without  diflaculty.  From  that 
time,  forward,  during  my  residence  in  Siberia, 
I  suffered  but  little  from  my  wound,  except 
when  I  irritated  and  inflamed  it  by  severe  man- 
ual labor  ;  yet  I  am  even  now  compelled  to  la- 
bor with  great  caution,  and  have  no  hope  of 
ever  being  entirely  free  from  the  effects  of  this 
unmerited  injury. 

As  soon  as  I  was  able  to  leave  my  hut,  I  be- 


1 


l^Y    SKA    AND    LAM). 


Ill 


iW 


gan  to  make  fre(iuent  excursiono  iiitc  the  sur- 
rounding country,  in  every  direction,  for  the 
purpose  of  gaining  all  possible  infornuition  in 
regard  to  thio  almost  unknown  region,  its  cli- 
mate, soil  and  productions  ;  and  when  the  days 
became  too  short  to  admit  of  my  spending  more 
than  a  few  hours  each  day,  in  this  manner,  I 
rendered  the  hours  of  darkness  both  pleasant 
and  profitable,  by  visiting  the  natives  and  Jais- 
sians  in  their  homes,  with  the  design  of  learn- 
ing to  speak  their  language. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  months  I  had  gained 
this  desirable  end,  to  an  extent  which  enabled 
me  to  converse  freely  with  the  other  inhabi- 
tants of  the  village,  and  thus  during  my  short 
residence  among  them,  I  obtained  a  far  better 
knowledge  of  the  country  and  people  than  I 
could  have  done  in  a  much  longer  time  from  my 
personal  observation  alone. 


|; 

j 

f 

1 

j 

i 

i 

1 

1 

1 

1 

;'  ' 

?l 


■^«H 


SJ  ■■ 


:^i  M 


I  i 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

ARCTIC   llOVINGS    AND  ADVENTURES. 

Sad  reflections  — The  bri!i;liter  side  of  the  ]>icture  — Learning  to 
speak  the  llussiau  language — A  Christmas  dinner— Bears  ani 
wolves —A  hunting  adventure — Treed  lyy  the  TVulves  —  An  uu- 
Cumlbrtable  night  —  Anew  comer  — Escape,  and  return  to  the 
settlement. 

It  will  be  perhaps,  a  matter  of  surprise  to 
the  reader,  that  I  do  not  more  frequently,  in 
these  pages,  dilate  upon  the  feelings  of  sadness 
and  distress  which  I  must  have  experienced 
during  my  sojourn  in  that  cold  and  dreary  re- 
gion, an  exile  from  home  and  friends,  and,  vir- 
tually, shut  out  from  communication  with  the 
whole  civilized  world,  to  which  I  had  no  cer- 
tainty of  ever  returning. 

1  will  not  deny  that  I  had  many  weary  days 
and  sleepless  nights  of  sad  and  bitter  reflec- 
tion, when  I  allowed  myself  to  dwell  upon  the 
darker  side  of  the  picture,  and  contrasted  my 
present  lot  with  the  years  of  my  happy  child- 
hood ;  but  I  am  well  aware  that  every  human 

112 


AHCTIC    noVINfJS, 


113 


re- 


ays 
lec- 
the 
Imy 
lild- 


boinir  Imn  cnoiijj;]!  of  trouble  and  nadnesa  liim- 
eelf,  witlioul  hcinijj  coinpellcd  to  sulTor,  from 
syinpatliy,  the  trials  of  anollicr,  and  I  have 
])nr])(>.«-c]y  refrained  from  giving  ex{)res8ion  here 
to  anything  of  an  unpleasant  nature,  beyond  a 
simple  statement  of  faets,  which  arc,  of  them- 
selves, sufHeiently  painful. 

Indeed,  I  had  great  cause  for  joy  and  thanks- 
giving during  my  winter  residence  in  Siberia, 
which  effectually  repelled  any  feeling  of  settled 
despondency.  I  had  escaped  from  a  life  of 
degrading  servitude,  and  was,  at  least,  in  pos- 
session of  the  glorious  gift  of  Freedom  wdjich 
the  sons  of  America  so  well  know  how^  to 
prize;  I  had  been  preserved  unscathed  in 
the  midst  of  danger ;  1  had  a  comfortable 
home,  and  the  wdiere-withal  to  support  life ; 
and,  above  all,  I  had  within  me,  the  light  of 
hope,  which  ever  illuminated  my  patliway  in 
the  darkest  hour,  and  which  cheered  and  en- 
couraged me  in  the  midst  of  danger  and  priva- 
tion. 

As  soon  as  I  had  learned  to  speak  the  Rus- 
sian language  intelligibly,  I  began  to  enjoy  tJie 
society  of  the  liussian  inhabitants  of  the  vil- 
lage,  and  to  gain  their  favor  by  an  exhibition 
of  social  and  kindly  feelings  wdiich  1  have  ever 


\. 


■  ( 
.     1 


li    :  ■'' 


114 


.\RCTic   novT\r;9, 


found  to  bo,  as  it  were,  contn^ioiis,  and  produc- 
tive of  .1  similar  ^collnj;  in  v^thcrs. 

I  gave  tlicni  a  concise  history  of  my  li^o 
from  my  earliest  recollection,  up  to  lite  present 
time,  to  vrlnel)  they  listened  with  evident  inter- 
est ;  and  when  T  spoke  of  the  harsh  treatment 
to  wliich  I  ha<l  heen  subjected  on  sliipboard, 
I  could  perceive,  by  the  chanoinjT  expressions 
of  their  countenances,  that — banished  convicts 
and  felons  as  they  were — they  were  not  in- 
sensible to  the  power  of  human  sympathy,  and 
that  they  refrarded  me  with  afeelinji^of  kindly 
pity,  as  a  victim  to  the  oppressive  power  of  a 
fellow-being  "  clothed  in  a  little  brief  author- 
ity." 

I  gave  them  a  descri])tion  of  my  own  country^ 
and  expatiated  upon  the  industry  and  enter- 
prise of  my  countrymen,  in  the  hope  of  arous- 
ing them  to  a  sense  of  their  own  degraded 
condition,  and  stimulating  them  to  improve- 
ment ;  I  pointed  out  to  them  the  benefits  which 
followed  a  life  of  soberness,  industry,  virtue, 
and  obedience  to  the  laws  of  God  and  man,  as 
well  as  the  inevitably  bad  results  which  follow 
a  life  of  indolence  and  vice ;  and  I  awakened 
their  finer  feelings  by  ppeaking  of  my  own  home 
and  friends,  of  my  dear,  dead  mother,  of  my 


Ma 


BY    SEA   AND    LAND. 


115 


kind  and  afToctionjite  fatlicr,  and  of  niv  dear 
little  sister  Clara,  the  pet  and  idol  of  my  child- 
hood, and  who  loved  me  as  dearly  as  1  loved 
her. 

Thus,  I  not  only  gained  their  prood-will  to 
such  an  extent  as  to  render  me  an  especial  fa- 
vorite among  them,  therehy  ensuring  myself 
the  kindest  treatment ;  but  1  flatter  myself  that 
my  teachings  were  not  altogether  in  vain,  and 
that,  even  while  I  remained  at  Oudsl<oi,my  ad- 
vice had  begun  to  produce  a  good  eil'ect,  which 
I  have  reason  to  believe  may  be  lasting. 

Among  other  items  of  information  in  regard 
to  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  American 
people,  I  told  them  that  wc  had  several  holi- 
days in  the  year,  which  we  were  accustomed  to 
celebrate  with  feasting  and  rejoicing. 

Upon  this,  they  informed  me  that  if  I  would 
tell  them  when  the  next  of  these  feast-days  oc- 
curred, thcv  would  furnish  me  with  what  lux- 
uries  they  could  procure,  that  I  might  hold  a 
feast  in  honor  of  the  occasion. 

Accordingly,  a  few  days  before  Christmas,  I 
informed  them  that  one  of  our  holidays  was 
approaching,  and  reminded  them  of  their  prom- 
ise. To  this  they  promptly  responded,  by  pre- 
senting me  with  what  they  regard  as  a  prime 
luxury,  viz  : — a  horse's  head. 


;i 


> 


I:' 

I 

i 

t'i 


■if'     ' 


116 


ARCTIC   R0VING9, 


The  reader  will,  doubtless,  be  somewhat  aston- 
ished to  learn  that  1  devoured  this  portion  of  my 
Christmas  dinner  raw,  and  relished  it  exceed- 
ingly ;  but  such  was,  indeed,  the  fact.  I  had  al- 
ready learned  to  prefer  raw  horse  ilesh  to  any 
thing  else  that  could  be  procured  in  that  re- 
gion, and  I  found  the  head  to  be  the  sweetest, 
tenderest,  and  best  part  of  the  animal. 

In  a  short  time  I  had  completed  the  arrange- 
ment of  my  hut.  By  this  time  I  had  gained 
the  favor  of  the  Russian  governor  to  such  a 
degree  that  I  ventured  to  ask  for  the  loan  of 
his  gun,  whenever  I  wished  to  make  an  excur- 
sion into  the  wilderness  ;  my  pistol  being  too 
small  to  be  used  with  advantao:e  among-  the 
large  game  of  that  region,  which  game  con- 
sists chiefly  of  grizzly  bears  and  wolves,  many 
of  the  former  weighing,  perhaps,  a  thousand 
pounds  or  more  ! 

During  these  excursions  I  met  with  many 
extraordinary  adventures,  and,  more  than  once, 
escaped  death,  as  it  were,  by  a  miracle.  I  be- 
held many  wonderful  sights  and  gained  consid- 
erable knowledge  of  the  country  ,  but,  I  have 
not  space  in  this  little  work  for  a  detailed  ac- 
count of  my  Arctic  adventures,  or  anything, 
in  fact,  but  a  brief  outline  of  my  first  sea-voy- 
age, it?  attendant  circumstances  and  results. 


-  -  &m : 


BY   SEA   AND   LAND. 


117 


Upon  one  occasion  I  had  wandered  many  miles 
from  the  settlement,  in  quest  of  adventures, 
and  the  short  day  being  more  than  half  spent, 
was  just  on  the  point  of  turning  my  face  to- 
wards home,  when  the  distant  howl  of  a  wolf 
fell  upon  my  ear,  and  caused  me  to  hasten  for- 
ward again  in  the  direciion  whence  it  proceeded. 

Although  wolves  are  plenty  in  this  region  I 
had  never  yet  succeeded  in  killing  one  ;  but  I 
had  a  great  desire  to  procure  one  or  more  of 
their  skins,  the  fur  of  the  Siberian  wolf  being 
white  and  extremely  thick  and  soft ;  and  as  I 
knew  that  a  single  wolf  was  not,  by  any  means, 
a  dangerous  foe  to  an  armed  man,  I  resolved  to 
give  chase  to  this  one,  and  if  possible,  secure 
his  skin  as  a  trophy. 

Guided  by  the  sound  of  his  howls,  I  rapidly 
approached  my  intended  victim  ;  but  ere  I  had 
cauo'ht  sip^ht  of  him,  the  cries  of  other   wolves 

CO  ' 

had  mingled  with  his  own,  and  it  soon  became 
evident  that,  instead  of  one  wolf,  I  should  be 
compelled  to  wage  war  with  several,  and  per- 
haps with  a  whole  troop. 

Nothwithstanding  this,  however,  I  pursued 
my  course  without  stopping,  for  I  had  become 
greatly  excited  by  the  prospect  of  sport,  and  was 
not  inclined  to  return  without  making,  at   least 


i  1 


wr 


118 


ARCTIC   ROVINGS, 


^ 


f !' 


%\   n 


■i^::sj-,  ? 


ra 


^r 


-if 'Pi 


an  attempt,  to  secure  a  few  of  the  long-coveted 
skins.  In  a  few  moments  more  I  pushed  my  way 
through  a  thicket  of  busheS;  and  stood  in  a 
wide  clearing,  in  full  view  of  the  wolves,  w^hich 
to  my  great  surprise  were  no  less  than  fifty  in 
number,  some  of  them  being  of  unusual  size, 
and  evidently  rendered  fierce  and  desperate  by 
the  pangs  of  hunger. 

I  perceived,  at  once,  that  any  attempt  to  com- 
bat such  a  number  of  these  ferocious  and  hungry 
creatures,  would  be  foolhardy  in  the  extreme  ; 
but  it  was  now  too  late  to  retreat  with  safety, 
and  I  resolved  to  stand  my  ground  and  face 
them  with  a  bold  front,  until  I  could  find  a  fa- 
vorable opportunity  to  give  thjm  the  slip  and 
mjtke  my  escape  ;  for  I  had  been  told  that  the 
Siberian  wolf  seldom  ventures  to  attack  a  man 
unless  he  can  take  him  at  a  disadvantage. 

This  plan  was  instantly  conceived,  and  as  in- 
etantly  put  into  execution.  The  wolves  no 
sooner  caught  sight  of  me  than  they  set  up 
a  shout,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  of  exultation  at  the 
prospect  of  prey,  and  began  to  advance  toward^ 
me ;  but,  when  instead  c^  turning  to  flee,  1 
brought  my  gun  to  my  shoulder  and  took  de- 
liberate aim  at  the  leader,  they  paused,  and  stood 
for  a  few  moments,  as  if  irresolute. 


BY    SEA   AND  LAND. 


119 


Meanwhile,  they  continued  to  howl  without 
cessation,  and,  to  my  dismay,  I  heard  answer- 
ing howls  in  every  direction,  which  plainly  in- 
dicated that  I  was  completely  surrounded  by 
the  wolves.  In  a  very  lew  minutes  the  orig- 
inal troop  had  been  greatly  augmented  by  the 
arrival  of  others  of  the  species,  equally  fierce 
and  hungry,  from  every  point  of  the  compass. 

And  now,  as  if  emboldened  by  their  increase 
in  numbers,  the  foremost  of  the  troop  began  to 
press  forward  a  gain.  It  was  evident  that  a  show 
of  courage  and  resolution  would  avail  nothing 
in  this  case,  and,  as  a  last  resort,  I  discharged 
my  gun  at  an  immense  wolf  which  seemed  to 
act  as  leader  of  the  troop. 

The  ball  crashed  through  his  skull,  and  he 
instantly  rolled  upon  the  snow  in  the  agonies  of 
deatli.  The  other  wolves  set  up  a  terrible  howd, 
and  rushed  pell-mell  u])on  the  carcass  of  cheir 
leader,  and  tearing  it  to  shreds,  devoured  it ! 
This  act  of  cannibalism  occupied  but  a  lew  sec- 
onds ;  but,  finding  that  my  chance  of  escape  was 
growing  smaller  and  "  smaller  and  beautifully 
less  "  every  moment,  I  had  improved  this  brief 
space  of  time  to  lessen  the  distance  between 
myself  and  a  large  fir  tree  which  etood  at  the 
e  Jge  of  the  clearing,  and  which  seemed  to  ofter 
a  ''  forlorn  hope  "  of  safety. 


■u.- 


«:! 


! 


5 


Hi)*:^. 


120 


ARCTIC   ROVIIsGS, 


T  had  not  quite  reached  the  foot  of  this  tree, 
when  the  wolves,  havhicr  swallowed  the  last 
morsel  of  their  defunct  comj^anlon,  again  sprang 
forward  e/i  masse  ;  the  ta^te  of  blood  having 
made  them  ten  fokl  more  ferocious  than  before. 

My  case  was  desperate,  for  less  than  half  a 
dozen  leaps  would  put  ihem  in  possession  of 
their  prey,  unless  I  should  meanwhile  have 
reached  the  friendly  protection  of  the  fir  tree  ; 
but  desperation  only  lent  new  vigor  to  my  sin- 
ews, and,  gaining  the  foot  of  the  tree  \^ith  a 
single  jump,  I  grasped  my  gun  firmly  by  the 
barrel  with  my  left  hand,  and  bounded  into  the 
air,  in  the  hope  of  seizing  the  lower  branch  of 
the  tree  with  my  other  hand. 

As  kind  fortune  would  have  it,  the  effort  was 
successful.  I  clutched  the  elastic  bough  with 
a  vice  like  grasp.,  and  with  an  agility  of  which 
I  should  have  been  incapable  under  ordinary 
circumstances-  swung  myself  into  the  body  of 
the  tree,  just  as  the  wolves  surrounded  it,  howl- 
ing and  yelling  like  so  many  devils,  at  finding 
their  victim  beyond  their  reach. 

Notwithstanding  my  narrow  escape  from  a 
horrible  death,  I  could  not  refrain  from  laugh- 
ing heartily  at  their  expression  of  baffled  rage 
and    disappointment ;    but  I   soon    discovered 


BY    SEA   AND   LAND. 


121 


tliat  after  all,  it  was  no  laughing  matter,  and 
that  I  should  do  well  to  heed  the  okl  adage 
which  advises  us,  "  not  to  hallo  till  we  are 
out  of  the  woods  !  " 

Instead  of  dispersing  in  pursuit  of  other 
and  more  accessible  prey,  as  I  had  hoped  they 
would,  tlie  wolves  pressed  close  together 
around  the  foot  of  the  tree,  and  looked  up  at  me 
with  their  glistening  eyes,  as  much  as  to  say, 
"  we  can  stay  here  as  long  as  you  can,  old 
fellow,  and  by-and-by  you  will  be  obliged  to 
come  down ! " 

It  was  evident  that  they  designed  to  besiege 
the  fortress  until  the  garrison  should  be  com- 
pelled to  surrender  from  want  of  provisions ; 
and  my  only  hope  of  escape  was  in  killing  the 
whole  troop,  or  being  relieved  by  my  friends 
from  the  settlement  who  might,  perchance,  dis- 
cover my  absence  and  come  to  the  rescue. 

Accordingly,  I  examined  my  ammunition, 
but  I  soon  found  that  I  had  not  balls  enough 
to  kill  one-fourth  of  the  troop,  even  if  none 
should  miss  their  aim.  I  resolved,  however, 
to  shoot  as  many  as  possible,  immediately ; 
saving  only  three  or  four  balls  to  be  used  in 
case  of  any  unforeseen  emergency. 

In  pursuit  of  this  design  I  climbed  into  a 


•V 


I 
I 


I 


it 


I' 


*  if  ;f 


A  '^^  ' 


,! 


a-:; 


'  '*l 


122 


ARCTIC    IIOVINGS, 


fork  of  the  tree,  and  commenced  loading  and 
firing  as  fast  as  I  could ;  every  ball  carrying 
death  to  some  one  of  the  four-legged  fiends, 
until  I  had  destroyed  eleven  of  them,  which 
were  speedily  devoured  by  their  ravenous 
companions. 

Having  but  four  balls  left,  I  desisted  from 
firing  ;  and  settling  myself  into  an  easy  position, 
deposited  my  gun  upon  an  overhanging  branch, 
and  [jrcceeded  to  take  a  philosophic  view  of 
my  situation. 

This,  however,  afforded  me  but  very  little 
satisfaction ;  for,  all  my  philosophy  failed  to  re- 
lieve me  of  the  uncomfortable  idea  that  I  had 
got  into  a  very  bad  scrape.  My  tormentors 
still  remained  at  the  foot  of  the  tree  ;  and  to 
add  to  my  discomfort,  the  night  had  closed  in 
with  more  than  Efryptian  darkness,  while  I 
began  to  feel  decidedly  cold  and  hungry,  without 
any  prospect  of  being  less  so,  at  present,  if  ever. 

At  first,  I  resolved  to  keep  awake  during* 
the  night,  but  after  a  vigil  of  several  hours 
duration,  I  became  so  drowsy  that  I  was  com- 
pelled to  yield  to  the  powers  of  the  "  dull  god  ;'" 
and,  having  taken  a  secure  position  among  the 
branches,  fell  into  a  deep  slumber,  from  which 
I  did  not  awake  until  the  grey  dawn  was  be- 
ginning to  streak  the  eastern  hoiizon. 


BY    SEA    AND    LAXD. 


123 


trom 


'Notwithstamllng  the  intense  cold,  I  had  slept 
conirortably ;  and  although  upon  waking,  I 
found  myself  chilled  and  benumbed  to  sucli  an 
extent  as  to  be  almost  incapable  of  motion,  1 
was  still  untouched  by  the  frost.  As  soon  as  I 
could  muster  spirit  and  resolution  enough  to 
stir  my  benum.bed  limbs,  I  began  to  climb  up 
and  down  the  branches  of  the  tree  for  the  pur- 
pose of  causing  the  almost  stagnant  blood  to 
circulate  in  my  veins,  and  send  a  glow  of 
warmth  through  my  body. 

[n  this  manner,  I  at  length  succeeded  in  get- 
ting warm,  and  again  returned  to  the  perch 
upon  which  I  had  passed  the  night,  to  take  an 
observation  of  the  hostile  army.  Tlie  devils 
were  still  there,  in  full  force,  and  I  was  begin* 
ning  to  despair  of  ever  being  relieved  from  my 
uncomfortable  position  except  by  death,  when  a 
sudden  and  unexpected  event  speedily  changed 
the  aspect  of  affairs,  and  released  me  from  my 
elevated  prison. 

This  was  notliing  more  or  less,  than  the  sud- 
den appearance,  upon  the  scene  of  action,  of  a 
huge  grizzly  bear,  which  bounded  througli  the 
bushes  into  the  clearing,  gazed,  for  a  moment, 
upon  the  pack  of  hungry  and  ferocious  wolves 
collected  at  the  foot  of  my  tree,  and  then  as  if 


\ 


'   I, 


124 


ARCTIC    KOVINGS, 


unwilling  to  form  a  cloe'er  acquaintance  with 
thera,  turned  to  fiec. 

At  the  first  appearance  of  the  bear,  the 
wolves,  as  if  conscious,  by  instinct,  of  the  fact 
that  bruin  would  furnish  a  more  abundant 
meal  than  a  poor  human  like  myself,  instantly 
forsook  their  position  at  the  fir  tree,  and,  spring- 
ing forward  in  solid  column,  pursued  him  to 
the  edge  of  the  clearing,  where  they  managed 
to  close  around  him  and  cut  off  his  retreat. 

And  now  ensued  tho  most  singular  combat 
that  the  eye  of  man  ever  beheld.  I  have  neith- 
er time  nor  space  to  give  the  details  of  the 
battle  ;  suffice  it  to  say  that,  although  the  bear 
succeeded  in  killincj  several  of  the  wolves,  he 
was,  at  length,  compelled  to  yield  to  a  superior 
force,  and  be  torn  in  pieces  and  devoured  by 
his  small  but  numerous  and  ferocious  antagon- 
ists. 

**  So  fell  the  eagle  by  a  swavm  of  gnats — 
So  the  whale  perished  by  a  shoal  of  sprats." 

The  reader  will  scarcely  need  to  be  told 
that  I  improved  the  time,  while  the  wolves 
were  engaged  in  feasting  upon  the  carcase  of 
the  bear,  to  decamp,  without  so  much  as  say- 
ing,   "  by  your   leave,"    or   bidding   a   formal 


BY    SEA  AND   LAND. 


125 


"  good-bye !  "  In  less  than  half  an  hour  I 
reached  the  settlement  of  Oudskoi  and  my  own 
hut,  happy  in  returning  at  all,  even  without  the 
ekins  for  which  I  had  dared  so  much,  and  en- 
dured so  great  hardship  and  anxiety  of  mind. 

Subsequently,  however,  I  procured  several 
of  the  much  coveted  skins  and  many  otlu  r 
trophies  of  my  hunting  adventures  in  the  wilda 
of  Siberia. 

If  the  natives  of  Siberia  but  knew  the  value 
of  furs,  and  were  not  too  indolent,  they  might 
easily  capture  many  of  the  bears,  wolves, 
Babies  and  foxes,  which  abound  in  that  region, 
and  derive  much  profit  from  the  sale  of  their 
i'kins.  Indolence  and  want  of  care  for  the 
future,  however,  are  their  "  easily  besetting 
sins  ; "  hence,  their  degraded  condition,  and 
frequent  wants  of  the  necessities  of  life  Na- 
ture provides  sufficient  store  of  food  and  rai- 
ment, if  they  would  but  take  pains  to  secure 
it;  but  although  ignorant  of  the  Bible,  they 
daily  and  constantly  obey,  in  its  most  literal 
sense,  the  injunction,  "  take  no  heed  of  the 
morrow,  what  thou  shalt  eat,  or  what  thou 
shalt  put  on." 

The  river  Oudskoi,  upon  which  the  settle- 
ment of  the  same  name  is  situated,  abounds, 


\ 


126 


ARCTIC    no  VINO  a, 


m  .''  v: 


at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  with  salmon, 
trout,  perch,  dace  and  varonce,  all  of  which 
might  be  taken  in  great  quantities,  and  made  to 
form  a  valuable  addition  to  their  winter  stock 
of  food. 

At  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  also,  the  river 
and  the  many  large  lakes  in  its  vicinity,  are 
visited  by  immense  flocks  of  ducks  and  geese, 
which  the  natives  seldom  attempt  to  capture  ; 
not  deeming  them  of  sufticient  value  to  com- 
pensate for  the  labor  of  taking  them. 

During  my  residence  at  Oudskoi,  it  occurred 
to  me  that  the  inhabitants  might  raise  a  small 
stock  of  vegetables,  by  selecting  the  sunny  and 
sheltered  spots  upon  the  south  side  of  the  hills 
and  rocks,  and  planting  those  vegetables  which 
are  of  rapid  growth,  very  early  in  the  spring- 
time. As  soon  as  I  had  learned  to  speak  their 
language,  I  advanced  this  idea,  and  after  con- 
siderable persuasion,  induced  them  to  try  the 
experiment,  which  I  have  reason  to  believe 
was  eminently  successful,  and  if  carried  out, 
will  have  the  effect  to  ameliorate  their  condition 
to  a  considerable  deo-ree. 

Thus,  it  appears  that,  notwithstanding  the 
severity  of  the  climate  and  the  sterility  of  the 
soil  of  Siberia,  nature  has  still  placed  within 


BY    SEA   AND   LAND. 


127 


Imon, 
\  liich 
,de  to 
stock 

river 

y,  are 

gjcese, 

)ture  ; 

com- 

jurred 
,  small 
ly  and 
e  hills 
which 
pring- 
k  their 
3r  con- 
Dry  the 
)elieve 
id  out, 
tidition 


the  reach  of  man,  the  wherewithal  to  sustain 
life  in  a  comfortable  manner;  and  the  "one 
thing  needful,"  to  render  the  inhabitants  of 
tliat  re«i;ion  prosperous  and  happy,  is  the  spirit 
of  Yankee  enterprise  and  industry. 


ngt  the 
of  the 
within 


\. 


i 


i 


CHAPTER  IX. 


THE   RESCUE. 


fihJpwrccliod  mariners  — Now  comors  to  tlio  Ruasian  sottlemont  — 
Tlio  end  of  wiiit(^r  —  Jounioy  to  tlio  coast  —  A  welcome  sij^lit  — 
Tlie  roscue  —  The  pliip  Daniel  Wood  of  New  Badford  — A  noble 
commander  — The  wJialc  lisliery  ai^ain  — Varieties  of  whales. 

During  the  month  of  Decemher,  a  party  of 
natives  from  the  lower  settlement,  previously 
referred  to,  visited  our  villaire  ;  brinj^inc:  tid- 
ings  from  the  coast,  of  a  party  of  American 
sailors,  either  cast-aways  or  deserters,  who 
had  encamped  on  the  c(jast,  and  were  suf- 
fering greatly  from  cold  and  hunger. 

Being  unable  to  relieve  the  distress  of  these 
Buflerers,  themselves,  the  natives,  in  their 
humanity,  had  come  to  Oudskoi  for  the  pur- 
pose of  informing  the  Russian  governor,  that 
he  mio-ht  send  them  aid. 

After  a  brief  consultation  with  the  natives, 
the  Governor,  who  could  neither  speak  nor 
write  English,  sent  for  me,  and  requested  me 
to  write  a  letter  to  the  party  of  seamen  at  the 
coast,  at  his  dictation. 

128 


nv    SKA    A\T)    LA\n. 


129 


eraont  — 

siiJiht  — 
A  noble 
lales. 

rty  of 
iously 
g  tid- 
ierican 
,  who 
e    suf- 

these 

their 

3  pur- 

',  that 

atives, 
k  nor 
)d  me 
it  the 


ITc  (Urc'ctiul  iiiu  to  write  that,  if  tlic  party- 
were  castawavH,  and  liad  anv  oflicors  anionnr 
them,  thoy  mi^ht  immediately  accompany  the 
bearer  of  the  letter  to  Oudskoi,  wliere  they 
bhouhl  receive  aid  and  protection  ;  but  that  if 
they  were  not  castaways,  but  deserters,  they 
might  stay  where  they  were  and  shift  for  them- 
eelves. 

Instead  of  following  these  directions,  liow- 
cver,  I  inibrmed  them  of  the  governor's  willing- 
ness to  aid  and  succor  castaways,  as  well  as 
his  aversion  to  deserters ;  and  directed  them, 
if  they  belonged  to  the  latter  class,  to  select 
one  or  more  of  their  number  to  act  as  officers, 
and  to  return  to  Oudskoi  with  the  bearer,  under 
the  assumed  character  of  wrecked  seamen. 

This  letter  was  immediately  dispatched  by  one 
of  the  natives,  who  proceeded  with  all  po'ssible 
haste  to  the  coast  and  delivered  the  missive  ac- 
cordinor  to  directions. 

It  afterward  appeared,  however,  that  the 
precaution  which  I  had  taken,  in  writing  the 
letter,  was  needless ;  for  the  party,  who  num- 
bered in  all,  twelve  men,  were  in  reality,  a  por- 
tion of  the  crew  of  the  ship  Phoenix  of  Nan- 
tucket, Capt.  Handy,  which  had  been  wrecked 
in  the  month  of  October,  previous,  upojj  Elbow 


\ 


1 


; 


i  ;i 


;r  ■■; 
t 


130 


ARCTIC    ROVINGS, 


Island.  All  hands  were  saved  ;  and  for  some 
time  the  whole  company  remained  upon  the 
Island,  living  in  a  hut  which  they  had  construct- 
ed from  frao;mcnts  of  the  wreck.  At  lenjrth 
however,  as  their  scanty  stock  of  provisions 
began  to  fail,  twelve  of  the  bolder  and  more 
adventurous  spirits  had  taken  leave  of  their 
companions,  and  crossed  the  ice  to  the  main- 
land, a  distance  of  about  seventy  miles. 

These  twelve  men  consisted  of  Capt.  Handy, 
the  fourth  mate,  and  ten  foremast  hands,  who, 
immediately  upon  the  receipt  of  my  letter,  set 
out  with  the  bearer  for  the  settlement  of  Oud- 
skoi,  where  they  arrived  at  length,  nearly  ex- 
hausted with  cold,  hunger,  and  fatigue,  and, 
without  a  single  exception,  badly  frost-bitten. 

They  were  received  with  great  hospitality 
by  the  vilhigers,  and  every  thing  was  done  for 
their  comfort,  which  the  circumstances  of  the 
case  would  admit.  Immediately  upon  their  ar- 
rival I  held  an  interview  Vy^ith  Capt.  Handy,  and 
offered  to  fcliare  my  hut  with  him.  This  oiFer, 
however,  he  (tid  not  accept,  choosing  rather  to 
live  with  his  companions  in  a  large  cabin  which 
had  been  placed  a*  their  disposal. 

Some  poet  has  said, — 


<i 


A  fellow  teeliDg  makt^s  us  wondrous  kind. 


»> 


BY    SEA    AND   LAND. 


131 


and  I  realized  the  truth  of  this  sentiment,  in 
this  case,  as  I  had  never  done  before.  It  af- 
forded me  much  gratification  to  be  able  to  min- 
ister to  the  wants  of  my  ship-wrecked  country- 
men, to  share  with  them  my  scanty  allowance, 
and  perform  for  them  every  kind  office  that 
humanity  could  suggest. 


* 


* 


* 


All  things  earthly  must  have  an  end  at  last, 
accordins:  to  the  immutable  laws  which  o;overn 
the  universe  ;  and,  although  protracted  ten-fold 
by  sorrow,  sickness,  hardship  and  privation, 
the  long  Arctic  winter  worf;  slowly  away,  and 
the  light  of  hope  began  to  glow  with  renewed 
brilliancy  in  my  bosom,  as  the  time  approached 
for  the  whalinjT  fleet  to  return  to  the  Okotsk 
sea,  when,  perchance,  I  should  be  rescued  from 
my  dreary  place  of  exile. 

At  leno'th,  the  month  of  June,  which  is  the 
first  month  of  the  whalinor  season,  arrived  ;  and 
in  company  with  my  friend  Tolman,  and  the 
crew  of  the  Phoenix,  with  the  exception  of 
Capt.  Handy,  I  set  out  for  the  coast. 

By  this  time  the  snow  and  ice  had  nearly  all 
disappeared ;  and,  meeting  no  adve^  tures  to 
delay  us,  we  accomplished  the  journey  in  less 
than  two  days. 


\. 


'n 


■if 


•  t 


I  I! 


!■' 


m 


132 


ARCTIC    R0TTNG9, 


Shortly  be  fare  noon  on  tlie  second  day,  we 
came  in  sight  of  the  coast  and  the  broad  ex- 
panse of  the  Okotsk  sea.  To  our  indescrib- 
able delight  the  deep  blue  surface  of  the  sea 
was  thickly  studded  with  white  winged  ships, 
with  the  "starry  ensign'*  of  our  own  dear  native 
land,  floating  gracefully  from  their  peaks. 

No  words  of  mine  can  adequately  describe 
the  scene  of  wild  and  joyful  excitement  which 
ensued,  as  our  eyes  took  in  the  welcome  f  *  rhu 
We  shouted,  we  laughed,  we  cried,  we  shook 
each  other  by  the  hand,  and  pointed  to  the 
ships,  and  sobbed  like  children ;  and  anon,  we 
threw  ourselves  upon  the  ground  in  an  extacy 
of  joy ;  while  from  every  heart,  I  doubt  not, 
went  up  a  fervent,  though  unspoken,  prayer  of 
gratitude  and  thanksgiving  to  the  infinite  Crea- 
tor and  Preserver. 

Presently,  one  of  the  ships  which  had  been 
heading  up  the  coast,  close  hauled  on  the  star- 
board tKok,  and  under  full  sail,  was  h  ve  sudden- 
ly in  stays,  and  rapidly  approached  the  shore. 
When  within  a  mile  of  the  land,  her  main  yai  J 
was  laid  aback,  and  a  boat  was  lowered  and 
pulled  directly  toward  the  beach. 

The  eminence  from  which  we  had  observed 
this  being  at  some  distance  from  the  beach,  we 


! 


BY    SEA   AND   LAND, 


138 


we 
ex." 

riL- 
sea 


ht.. 


th( 


started  thither  upon  a  run,  as  soon  as  the  boat 
had  been  lowered,  for  the  purpose  of  meetmg 
the  crew  as  they  landed.  As  the  boat  glided 
up  to  the  shore,  impelled  by  the  lusty  strokes 
of  the  stalwart  oarsmen,  we  greeted  her  erew 
with  three  rousing  cheers,  which  were  prompt- 
ly echoed  from  the  boat ;  and,  as  her  keel  grat- 
ed upon  the  beach,  the  officer  in  charge  of  the 
boat  sprang  ashore,  followed  by  his  crew,  and 
inquired  in  a  loud  voice,  if  "  Daniel  Hall,  of 
New  Bedford  was  among  the  company  ?" 

Upon  this,  I  stepped  forward  and  informed 
him  that  I  was  the  person  whom  he  sought ; 
whereupon,  he  grasped  me  by  the  hand,  declar- 
ing that "  It  did  his  eyes  good  to  see  me  I" 
He  then  informed  me  that  he  was  the  mate  of 
the  ship  Daniel  Wood,  of  New  Bedford,  com- 
manded by  Capt.  Thomas  Morrison,  and  that 
he  had  been  sent  ashore  every  day  sin^^.e  the 
arrival  of  the  ship  in  the  Sea,  to  search  for  me  I 

Capt.  Morrison  had  seen  my  father's  adver- 
tisement in  the  New  Bedford  Shipping  List, 
and  being  a  liumane  and  noble-hearted  man, 
and,  withal,  f«  friend  to  my  father,  had  resolved 
to  rescue  me,  if  possible,  from  exile,  and  en- 
able me  to  return  to  my  native  land. 

The  officer  concluded  by  inviting  me  to  take 


u-ri 


gn   }J  ; 


134 


ARCTIC   ROVINGS, 


a  seat  in  the  boat,  saying  that  there  were  com- 
fortable quarters  reserved  fur  me  on  board  the 
Daniel  Wood,  and  that  he  would  be  glad  to 
take  my  companions  also,  if  he  had  authority 
to  do  so  ;  but  that  as  he  had  not,  he  would  take 
pains  to  find  some  other  ship  or  ships  which 
were  in  need  of  hands,  and  that  they  should 
Boon    /    ''Hieved  from  their  unpleasant  situation. 

This  I  jmise  was  faithfully  kept ;  and,  in  the 
course  of  twenty-four  hours,  the  whole  party 
had  been  shipped  on  board  vessels  which 
chanced  to  be  short  handed. 

Upon  my  arrival  on  board  the  Daniel  Wood, 
I  was  greeted  with  cheers  by  the  crew,  and  re- 
ceived by  Captain  Morrison  in  the  most  friend- 
ly manner.  Taking  me  by  the  hand  the  cap- 
tain led  me  into  the  cabin,  and  showed  me  the 
advertisement  inserted  by  my  father,  in  the 
New  Bedford  Shipping  List,  saying  that  he  had 
sent  his  boats  ashore  several  times,  to  search 
for  me,  and  that  he  thanked  God  he  had  been 
able  to  find  me,  and  rescue  me  from  that  bar- 
ren shore. 

His  kind  manner  and  words  afifected  me  to 
such  an  extent  that  I  could  not  refrain  from 
shedding  tears,  and  was  scarcely  able  to  express 
in  fitting  words,   the    gratitude   which  I  felt ; 


,    t  4 


BY    SEA    AND    LAND. 


185 


whereupon  lie  bade  me  say  no  more  upon  tliat 
subject,  declaring  that  he  liad  only  done  as  he 
would  wish  another  tc  do  by  his  own  son, 
ehouhl  he  ever  be  pLaced  in  a  Blmilar  position  ; 
and  that  the  pleasure  of  having  relieved  my 
distress,  was,  of  itself,  a  sufficient  reward  for 
wTiat  he  had  done. 

lie  then  ordered  the  steward  to  supply  me 
with  a  comfortable  outfit,  and  told  me  that  1 
mlii;ht,  from  that  time  forward,  consider  mvself 
a  member  of  the  ship's  crew,  upon  equal  terms 
with  the  others. 

Blessed  be  God  that  I  fell  into  the  hands  of 
a  generous,  noble-hearted,  honorable  man,  like 
Thomas  Morrison,  of  the  ship  Daniel   Wood ! 

The  whaling  season  having  but  just  com- 
menced, three  months  must  necessarily  elapse 
before  we  should  sail  for  home  ;  and  shortly 
after  I  had  become  a  member  of  the  Daniel 
Wood's  crew,  the  labor  of  capturing  the  mon- 
sters of  the  deep  began  in  good  earnest. 

We  had  a  most  successful  season,  but  as  I 
have  already,  in  these  pages,  given  the' reader  a 
"  peep  at  the  whale  fishery,"  I  will  not  waste 
time,  or  weary  his  patience  with  a  repetition. 

Fearing,  however,  that  some  of  my  landsmen 
readers  would  be  disappointed,  did  I  not  give 
them  a  brief  description  of  the  different   varie- 


tal 


.1 


il  ^  I 


!*!!<&'» 


%:J; 


?f 


136 


ARCTIC   ROVINGS, 


ties  of  whales,  I  have  taken  the  liberty  to  in- 
sert in  this  connection  a  list  of  the  various 
kinds  of  the  species,  with  the  distinguishing 
peculiarities  of  each. 

The  following  varieties  of  the  whale  species 
are  all  that  are   at  present  known   to  seamen. 

Tj  e  sperm  whale  is  found  in  the  Atlantic, 
Pacific,  and  Indian  Ocean,  and  the  Japan  Sea, 
and  generally  in  shoals.  These  whales  vary  in 
size,  yielding  from  three  to  one  hundred  and 
thirty  barrels  of  oil,  but  averaging  about  forty 
barrels. 

When  a  sperm  whale  has  been  taken  and 
brought  alongside,  the  head  is  first  severed 
from  the  body,  just  forw^ard  of  the  eye,  and 
hoisted  on  deck.  The  head  is  then  opened,  and 
what  is  called  the  "  head  matter,"  (which  is  the 
best  part  of  the  oil,)  is  dipped  out  and  trant;- 
ferred  to  the  boilers,  or  try-pots.  After  it  has 
been  sufficiently  heated,  it  is  ready  for  the 
casks,  which  as  soon  as  the  oil  is  cold,  are  stowed 
away,  not  to  be  disturbed  until  the  arrival  of 
the  ship  at  home.  This  head  oil  averages 
from  three  to  twenty  barrels,  according  to  the 
size  of  the  whale. 

The  blubber  is  then  taken  from  the  body,  in 
what  are  termed  "  blanket  pieces,"  in   the   fol- 


' 


BY    SEA   AND   LAND. 


13: 


m- 

lOUS 


fol- 


lowing manner : — These  pieces  or  strips  of  blub- 
ber arc  cut  four  feet  in  width,  and  al)out  forty 
in  length ;  and,  when  hoisted  on  board,  are 
placed  in  the  nijihi  hatch  v/ay,  called  by  whale- 
men, the  "blubber-room,"  where  they  are  rap- 
idly *'  minced"  and  sent  to  the  boilers,  to  be 
*'  tryed  out."  When  all  the  blubber  has  been 
taken  from  the  whale,  the  carcase  is  cut  adrift. 
No  bone  is  taken  from  the  sperm  whale. 

Of  the  right  whale  species,  there  are  several 
kinds',  the  first  and  largest  of  which  is  called 
the  Greenland  whale.  Some  specimens  of  this 
variety  of  whales  have  been  known  to  yield 
four  hundred  barrels  of  oil,  with  bone  averag- 
ing twenty-five  pounds  to  the  barrel.  The 
right  whale  has  no  head  matter ;  and  the 
manner  of  trying  out  the  blubber  is  the  same 
as  in  the  case  of  the  sperm  whale. 

The  next  in  size  is  the  right  whale  that  is 
taken  from  the  Japan  sea,  which  averages  one 
hundred  and  fifty  barrels,  with  about  twelve 
pounds  of  bone  to  the  barrel. 

This  whale  is  the  most  diflScult  to  capture, 
being  prone  to  show  fight,  and  frequently  stav- 
ing boats,  and  killing  men,  but  seldom  venturing 
to  attack  a  ship,  as  the  sperm  whale  has  been 
known  to  do. 


If!-''' 


Ml 


•i 


i  I 


■'.    ill 


138 


ARCTIC    KOVINGS, 


The  next  in  order  is  the  Baniheiid,  which  is 
the  mildest  of  the  whale  species,  seldom  show- 
ing fight,  and,  yielding  upon  the  average,  forty- 
barrels,  with  ten  pounds  of  bone  to  the  barrel. 

The  next  is  the  Finback,  which  is  very 
wild  and  difficult  to  capture,  and  yields  upon 
an  average  about  twenty-five  barrels,  hav- 
ing but  a  small  quantity  of  bone. 

The  Sulphur  Bottom  is  seldom  taken,  being 
"wild  and  shy  ;  and  affords  but  a  small  quantity 
of  oil,  and  no  bone. 

The  Devil  Fish  is  one  of  the  worst  to  attack 
of  all  the  whale  species,  and  is  found  chiefly 
on  the  coast  of  California.  This  whale  destroys 
more  boats  and  kills  more  men,  than  all  the 
other  members  of  his  family ;  and  yields  but 
about  twentv  barrels  of  oil.  These  whales  are 
very  plenty  ;  but  it  is  only  about  four  years 
since  much  account  has  been  made  of  them. 
They  have  but  little  bore. 

Another  kind  of  whale  called  the  Killer,  is 
seldom  taken.  These  whales  generally  go  in 
shoals,  in  search  of  food  and  prey,  and  swim 
with  great  rapidity.  They  invariably  have  a 
leader  whic'i  swims  in  advance  of  the  shoal, 
and  who  evidently  acts  as  '*  lookout ;"  for  when- 
ever he  observes  a  whale  of  any  other  species 


wi 


BY   SEA    AND    LAND. 


139 


'h  is 
ihow- 
forty 


bav- 


but  his  own,  be  gives  notice  of  tin;  fact  in  some 
way  to  his  companions,  when  the  whole  shoal 
immediately  start  in  pursuit  of  the  ^  Ictim,  usu- 
ally overtaking  him  in  a  very  short  time.  When 
they  have  killed  a  whale,  they  devour  his  tongue 
only,  leaving  the  remainder  of  his  body  un- 
touched. 

The  Black  Fish  arc  taken  in  great  numbers, 
by  whalemen,  and  yield  from  fifteen  gallons  to 
five  barrels  of  oil.  They  are  a  very  lively  kind 
of  fish,  and  very  uncomfortable  creatures  to 
handle,  being  quite  as  likely  to  "  breach  "  or 
jump  into  the  boat  in  pursuit,  as  otherwise. 

These  arc  the  only  fish  yielding  oil,  which 
are  known  to  whalemen. 


;.,  \ ''.  \ ! 


In  ( 


CHAPTER  X. 

CONCLUSION — nOMEWAKD    BOUND. 

Departure  from  the  Okotsk  Sea— Arrival  at  the  Sandwich  Islands 
Joining  a  New  bhip — Interview  with  the  yeaman's  Pastor  at 
Honolulu— Homeward  Bound— Land  ho— Home  a<;ain. 

We  remained  in  the  Okotsk  Sea  until  late 
in  the  season  ;  meeting  with  more  than  average 
success  in  the  fishery.  At  lengtli,  the  ice 
having  begun  to  collect  in  considerable  quan- 
tities, we  set  sail  for  the  Sandwich  Islands. 
The  passage  down  the  coast  w^as  marked  \^  no 
incident  of  special  importance  ;  and,  on  the 
fifth  of  November  we  arrived  in  the  port  of 
Lahinia.  Here,  to  my  great  delight,  I  found 
several  boys  who  had  been  my  former  school- 
mates and  intimate  friends,  belonging  to  the 
ship  Rapid  of  New  Bedford,  then  in  the  port 
of  Lahinia. 

Upon  making  inquiries  in  regard  to  the  des- 
tination of  the  Rapid,  I  learned  that  she  was 
bound  directly  to  New  Bedford.  As  Captain 
Morrison,  of   my  own    ship,  had    decided  to 

140 


BY    SEA   AND   LAND. 


141 


D. 

1  Islands 
Pastor  at 

;il  late 
iverage 
the  ice 
?  quan- 
[slands. 
cl  It  no 
on  the 
port  of 
[  found 
school- 
to  the 
tie   port 

he  des- 
;he  was 
Captain 
jided  to 


cruise  two  months  or  more  on  the  homeward 
passage,  and  as  I  desired  to  reach  home  as 
speedily  as  possible,  I  asked  permission  to  join 
the  Rapid.  This  was  readily  given ;  and, 
accordingly  I  enrolled  my  name  upon  the 
shipping-list  of  the  Eapid,  agreeing  to  help 
work  the  ship  home  at  five  dollars  per  mouth, 
and  a  "  Icigh,"  in  case  we  should  take  any 
oil  on  the  homeward  passage. 

In  a  few  days  we  sailed  from  Lahinia  for 
Honolulu,  arriving  at  the  latter  port  after  a  two 
days  passage.  Immediately  upon  our  arrival, 
I  hastened  to  the  post-office,  hoping  to  find 
letters  from  my  friends  at  home.  Being  disap- 
pointed in  this  hope,  I  proceeded  to  the  office 
of  Father  Damon,  the  seaman's  pastor  of  the 
port.  Upon  giving  him  my  name,  he  informed 
me  that  he  had  received  two  letters  from  my 
father,  (which  he  showed  me,)  and  gave  me  a 
detailed  account  of  the  manner  in  which  my 
father  had  endeavored  to  gain  intelligence  of 
me,  upon  learning  that  I  did  not  return  to  Hon- 
olulu with  the  Condor. 

This  account,  and  the  letters  to  Mr.  Damon, 
showed  me  how  great  had  been  my  father's  anx- 
iety and  solicitude  in  my  behalf;  and,  request- 
ing Father  Damon  to  furnish  me  with  suitable 


;!il 


W  k 


I 


!  , 


1 


<  i 


■I  .' 


^4 


142 


ARCTIC    llOVINCJS, 


materials,  T  ininiediatoly  sat  down  to  write  a 
long  letter  to  my  father,  that  his  anxious  mind 
might  be  relieved  at  the  earliest  possible  mo- 
ment. Mr.  Damon  also  wrote  a  letter  to  my 
father,  which,  together  with  my  own,  was  dc- 
spatciied  without  delay.  After  a  long  and 
pleasant  conversation  with  this  reverend  and 
estimable  man,  in  the  course  of  which  he  did 
not  fail  to  give  me  good  advice,  I  bade  him 
farewell  and  returned  to  my  ship. 

Instead  of  sailing  directly  for  home  in  the 
Kapid,  as  I  had  anticipated,  I  was  transferred, 
with  the  remainder  of  her  crew,  to  anothr  hip 
named  the  Frances  Henrietta ;  Captain  est 
of  the  Rapid,  of  which  he  was  agent  and  part 
owner,  having  decided  to  refit  his  own  ship,  for 
another  season,  and,  exchanging  her  for  the 
Frances  Henrietta,  return,  with  his  crew  to  the 
United  States  in  the  latter  vessel. 

Accordingly,  the  transfer  was  made  ;  and, 
after  remaining  six  weeks  at  Honolulu,  we 
sailed  for  home  in  the  Frances  Henrietta.  On 
the  third  day  out,  however,  the  ship  sprung 
aleak,  and  we  were  compelled  to  make  the  near- 
est port,  which  was  the  Island  of  Otaheite,  for 
repairs.  In  this  poi't  the  upper  works  of  the 
ship  were  recaulked  and  sheathed,    which   op- 


T 


BY    SEA    AND    LAND. 


143 


HMtc  a 
mind 

C     1110- 

to  my 
^as  de- 
g  and 
d  and 
he  did 
le    him 

in  the 
sferred, 
[C  hip 
.  est 
id  part 
hip,  for 
for  the 
V  to  the 

e  ;  and, 
Lilu,  we 
ta.  On 
sprung 
he  near- 
leite,  for 
5  of  tlie 
lich   op- 


eration consumed  about  ten  days  ;  and,  when 
bhe  was  rciady  for  sea,  we  were  ihitaincd  seven 
days  longer  by  a  head  wind,  the  harbor  being 
too  narrow  to  admit  of  beating  the  slii[)  out  to 
sea.  At  length,  however,  the  wind  liaving 
^  eered  to  a  fiivorable  quarter,  we  sailed  from 
Otaheite. 

During  our  passage  to  the  Horn,  we  saw 
several  whales,  to  which  we  occasionally  gave 
chase,  and  innumeralde  black-fish.  On  one 
occasion,  while  in  pursuit  of  a  whale,  one  of 
our  boats  was  pulled  close  alongside  the  already 
wounded  and  struggling  monster,  with  the  de- 
sign of  fixing  a  second  harpoon  in  his  body. 
The  excitement  of  the  chase,  and  the  desire  to 
be  "  in  at  the  death,"  however,  had  overcome 
the  prudence  of  those  in  charge  of  the  boat,  and 
sufficient  caution  was  not  observed  in  approach- 
ing the  enraged  Leviathan,  which  was  lashing 
the  water  into  foam  in  his  violent  struggles  to 
escape  from  the  torturing  iron. 

As  the  harpooner  poised  his  weapon  for  the 
deadly  blow,  the  whale  suddenly  went  down, 
but  ere  the  boat's  crew  had  time  to  obey  the 
hasty  order  to  "  back  oars ! "  which  was 
given  instantly  upon  the  disappearance  of  the 
whale,  he  had  again  risen  to  the  surface  withiji 


a  \i 


■I  I  i 


.  r 


144 


ARCTIC    ROVI^GS, 


a  few  yards  of  the  boat.  In  a  moment  more 
his  huge  tail  rose  high  into  the  air,  as  he  took 
a  second  dive,  and  then  descended  full  upon 
the  bows  of  the  boat,  which  it  dashed,  instant- 
ly, to  atoms,  scattering  men,  oars,  and  frag- 
ments of  the  wreck  in  every  direction. 

Providentiallv,  the  entire  force  of  the  blow 
had  fallen  upon  the  boat  itself,  and  not  upon 
the  men,  who  would  otherwise  have  been  in- 
stantly killed.  The  other  two  bqats,  which 
were  near  at  hand  at  the  time  of  this  accident, 
came  promptly  to  the  rescue  of  their  unfortu- 
nate shipmates,  some  of  whom  had  succeeded 
in  getting  hold  of  oars  and  fragments  of  the 
boat,  while  others  sustained  themselves  in  the 
water  by  their  own  exertions. 

One  of  the  latter,  being  -inable  to  keep  him- 
self afloat  until  the  arrival  of  the  boat,  proba- 
bly in  consequence  of  injuries  which  he  had 
received  from  flying  splinters  of  the  wreck,  at 
the  moment  of  its  destruction,  sunk  to  rise  no 
more,  before  the  eyes  of  his  shipmates,  and 
when  relief  was  close  at  hand.  All  the  other 
members  of  the  boat's  crew  were  rescued  un- 
injured ;  but  the  sad  event  of  their  companion's 
death  cast  a  gloom  over  the  whole  ship's  com- 
pany, for  the  deceased  had  been  a  true  sailor 


BY    SEA    AND    LAND. 


145 


nore 
took 
upon 
?tant- 
frag- 

blow 
upon 
in  in- 
which 
ident, 
ifortu- 
jeeded 
of  the 
in  the 

p  him- 
proba- 
le  had 
eck,  at 
rise  no 
3s,  and 
e  other 
ed  un- 
)anion's 
I's  com- 
e  sailor 


and  a  good  shipmate,  esteemed  and  respected 
alike  in  cabin  and  forecastle. 

Meanwhile,  the  whale  wdiich  had  been  the 
cause  of  this  sad  disaster,  had  ended  his  ex- 
ploits by  "  flurrying  "  about  in  such  a  frantic 
manner,  that  it  became  necessary  to  the  safety 
of  the  first  boat  which  had  fastened  to  him,  to 
cut  the  line,  and  let  his  Avhalcshl])  go ;  where- 
upon, he  gave  a  single  flourish  of  his  tail  in 
token  of  defiance,  and  started  lOr  "  parts  un- 
known "  at  a  furious  rate  ;  while  the  three  re- 
laaining  boats  returned  to  the  ship. 


* 


* 


* 


* 


In  due  time,  we  arrived  off  Cape  Hom» 
where  we  received  the  usual  portion  which  falls 
to  the  lot  of  mariners  in  this  tempestuous  local- 
ity ;  that  is  to  say,  severe  weather,  adverse 
winds,  and  plenty  of  hard  work  for  all  hands. 

We  spent  nearly  two  weeks  beating  off  and 
on,  before  we  succeeded  in  doubling  the  Horn  ; 
and,  although  we  met  with  no  serious  disaster, 
were  frequently  in  a  position  of  considera- 
ble peril,  and  more  than  i^nce,  narrowly  escaped 
losing  our  masts,  or  bv  ing  otherwise  damaged. 

One  one  occasion  during  this  time,  we  were 
lying  to  at  night  under  the  lee  clew  of  the 
main-topsail,  in  a  living  gale  of  wind ;  and  the 


ft  ; 


146 


ARCTIC   KOTINGS, 


watch  on  deck,  of  which  I  was  a  memher,  had 
collected  just  abaft  the  main-mast,  that  we 
migiit  be  in  readiness  to  obey  the  orders  from 
the  officers  of  the  deck  without  dela3^ 

To  while  away  the  long  hours  of  the  middle- 
watch,  we  resorted  to  the  never-failing  enter- 
tainment of  "  spinning  yarns."  Naturally 
enough,  these  yarns  upon  the  present  occasion, 
took  the  form  of  tales  of  chipwreck  and  disas- 
ter and  fearful  accounts  were  given  by  our  vet- 
eran "  salts,"  of  ships  which  had  sunk  in  mid 
ocean,  carrying  down  nearly  all  on  board  to  a 
watery  grave,  —  of  ships  burnt  at  sea,  or  dashed 
in  pieces  among  the  breakers  of  a  rocky  lee 
shore,  and  of  ships  which  had  sailed  from  port, 
with  hundreds  of  happy  human  beings  on 
board,  ;nd  whose  fate  had  been  briefly  told  in 
the  comprehensive  phrase, — "  Sailed,  and  never 
heard  from."  Such  stories  as  these  were  lis- 
tened to  with  an  interest  heightened  to  a  degree 
which  a  landsman  can  scarcely  conceive  of,  by 
the  sight  of  the  tempest-tossed  waves  around 
us,  and  the  roar  of  the  gale  above  our  heads. 

Suddenly,  a  sound  of  terrible  import  fell 
upon  our  ears,  interrvipting  the  narrative  to 
which  we  were  eagerly  listening,  and  causing  a 
profound  silence  for  several  minutes,  as  we  lis- 


BY    SEA   AND  LAND. 


147 


tened  with  breathless  anxiety  fur  its  repetition. 
Again  and  again,  that  fearful  sound,  so  painful 
to  all  endowed  with  the  feeling  of  sympathy 
for  their  fellow  beings  in  danger  and  distress, 
came  booming  over  the  angry  waters,  chilling 
the  blood  in  our  veins,  and  sending  a  thrill  of 
sorrow  to  the  hardest  heart. 

It  was  the  minute  gun^  the  signal  of  distress 
at  sea — coming  from  a  point  far  to  windward 
of  us.  It  was  evident  to  all,  that  even  had  it 
b  r.n  safe  for  us  to  make  sail  in  such  a  tempest, 
it  would  still  be  impossible  to  beat  the  ship  up 
to  the  point  whence  the  signal  proceeded,  in 
season  to  render  any  assistance. 

The  officer  of  the  deck,  however,  called  the 
captain,  who  immedintcly  hastened  on  deck  for 
the  purpose  of  doing  \ory thing  that  was  pos- 
sible, under  the  circumt>tan('os  in  the  faint  Jiope 
of  being  able  to  relieve  the  unf  )rtunat<   vessel. 

He  commanded  that  rockets  and  blue  li  -Jits 
should  be  shown  at  intervals  for  the  pur[)Oi?e  of 
lettino;  the  sufferers  know  that  their  sin-nal  of 
distress  had  been  heard,  and  encourage 
them  to  the  last  to  exert  themselves  :o  keep 
their  ship  afloat  until,  perchance,  the  subsid- 
ence of  the  gale,  or  a  change  of  wind,  might 
enable  us  to  come  to  their  rescue. 


m 

"'nil'  ■ 


148 


ARCTIC   ROVING9, 


i  (  i 


tl     'i^ 


This  was  accordingly  clone  ;  and  after  a  few 
rockets  had  been  sent  up  from  our  own  ship, 
answering  signals  were  observed  far  to  wind- 
ward. It  was  too  dark,  however,  for  us  to 
make  out  the  vessel  in  distress  with  the  night- 
glass  ;  and  after  a  short  time,  we  saw  no  more 
of  her  signals,  although  the  minute  gun  was 
still  fired  without  cessation. 

Meanwhile,  great  excitement  prevailed  on 
board  our  own  ship.  The  watch  below  had 
been  aroused  by  the  bustle  on  deck,  and  had 
turned  out,  long  before  eight  bells,  and  all 
hands  were  assembled  on  deck,  listening  with 
painful  emotions  to  the  dull  boom  of  the  signal 
gun,  and  "  hoping  against  hope,"  for  the  ulti- 
mate safety  of  those  on  board  the  sinking  ship, 
whose  distressed  condition  they  knew  so  well 
yet  were  unable  to  relieve. 

Our  commander  paced  the  quarter-deck  in  a 
most  excited  manner,  occasionally  exchanging 
a  few  words  with  one  of  the  officers,  and,  ever 
and  anon,  consulting:  the  "  doo;-vane  "  to  ascer- 
tain  if  the  wind  had  veered.  At  length,  after 
the  lapse  of  nearly  an  hour  since  the  first  gun 
had  been  heard,  the  wind  suddenly  hauled  aft 
several  points,  and,  at  the  same  time,  percepti- 
bly subsided. 


y  ^ 


ARCTIC    BOVTNGS, 


149 


Upon  this  our  captain  lost  no  time  in  giving 
the  proper  orders  for  making  sail,  and  getting 
the  ship  under  way.  The  fore  and  fore-top- 
mast stay-sail,  main  spencer  and  close  reefed 
spanker  were  first  set ;  and,  as  soon  as  the  ship 
had  acquired  steerage  way,  and  been  brought 
to  her  course,  the  reefed  fore-sail,  main-sail, 
and  main-top-sail  were  successively  spread  to 
the  gale. 

Under  this  canvas,  the  ship  bowed  to  the 
tempest,  which  still  roared  furiously,  until  her 
lee  chains  were  submerged  in  the  foaming  waves, 
while  her  stout  masts  bent  and  swp.ved  like 
coach  whips,  and  at  every  headlong  plunge,  we 
more  than  half  expected  to  hear  the  strained 
rigging  burst  asunder,  and  see  the  spars  go 
overboard. 

Yet  no  such  disaster  occurred.  The  masts 
and  rigging,  although  r-trained  to  a  fearful  ex- 
tent, still  resisted  the  force  of  the  gale,  which 
bore  us  on  our  course  with  the  speed  of  a  race- 
horse. Each  successive  report  of  the  signal 
gun  sounded  "nearer,  clearer,"  than  before, 
and  we  had  begun  to  cherish  a  strong  hope  of 
being  able  to  relieve  our  distressed  fellow  be- 
ings, when  suddenly  the  minute  gun  ceased  ; 
and,  although   the  hearts  of  all   stood  sti'l.  as, 


150 


ARCTIC    ROVINGS, 


!  -'v 


breathless  and  silent,  we  listened  for  another 
report,  it  came  not  again  ! 

At  length,  we  could  no  longer  resist  the  fear- 
ful conviction,  that  the  unfortunate  ship,  with 
its  precious  freight  of  human  lives,  had  been 
engulphed  by  the  maddened  billows  ;  and  with 
sorrowful  hearts  we  commenced  the  labor  of 
shortening  sail,  and  heaving  the  ship  to,  in 
obedience  to  the  orders  of  tho  captain. 

Such  an  incident  as  the  foregoing,  is  not,  by 
any  means,  of  unfrequcnt  occurrence  upon  the 
ocean.  It  affords  but  one  of  the  many  proofs 
which,  almost  daily  come  under  the  observation 
of  sailors,  that  "  life  on  the  ocean  wave  "  is 
held  by  a  frail  and  uncertain  tenure ;  and  that 
those  "  who  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships  "  have 
need  to  be  ever  prepared  for  the  awful  ei^ent 
of  an  instant  transition  from  time  to  eternity. 

We  never  ascertained,  with  any  degree  of 
certainty,  the  name  of  the  unfortunate  vessel, 
which,  undoubtedly,  went  down  during  that 
dark  and  stormy  night, "  off  Cape  Horn.  So 
many  ships  were  reported  as  "  lost,"  "  miss- 
ing," or  "  not  heard  from  "  upon  our  arrival 
home,  that  we  could  not,  in  this  manner,  gain 
any  information  that  would  afford  us  the  mel- 
ancholy satisfaction  of  knowing  her  name  and 
destination,  or  the  names  of  those  on  board. 


BY    SEA    AND    LAND. 


151 


ar- 

Hth 

cen 

ith 

of 

in 


Having  doiiljled  the  Horn,  we  proceeded  on 
our  course,  under  full  sail  ;  wind  and  weathor 
favoring  us  to  an  extraordinary  degree,  until 
after  we  bad  crossed  the  equator  in  tlic  Atlantic. 

OiF  the  Bermudas,  we  experienced  rou;'h 
weather,  and  were  considerably  delayed  by 
baHling  and  adverse  winds  ;  but  met  with  no 
accident  more  serious  than  the  loss  of  a  stud- 
ding-sail boom  or  two,  in  consequence  of  being 
taken  suddenly  aback,  or  tlie  splitting  of  some 
of  the  smaller  sails,  in  a  scjuall. 

After  passing  the  Bermudas,  we  were  so  for- 
tunate as  to  get  a  favorable  "  slant,"  which  we 
held  for  several  days,  during  which  time,  we 
started  neither  tack,  sheet,  nor  halyards  ;  but, 
with  the  wind  a  litde  abaft  the  beam,  and  every 
stitch  of  our  canvas,  with  the  exception  of 
studding-sails,  distended  to  the  breeze,  we 
bounded  over  the  blue  rolling  billows  of  the 
Korth  Atlantic,  at  the  rate  of  eight  or  ten  knots 
an  hour,  homeward  hound. 

The  joy  which  vv^ould  have  filled  our  bosoms, 
under  ordinary  circumstancos,  in  view  of  our 
vapid  progress  toward  the  dear  home  from 
which  we  had  been  so  long  absent,  and  the 
prospect  of  a  speedy  re-union  with  the  beloved 
friends   who,  doul)tle3s,  anxiously  awaited   our 


l!i 


n^ 


::;' 


m 


'■! 


152 


AUCTIC   KOVIXGS, 


arrival  in  port,  was,  upon  tlie  present  occasion, 
considerably  modified  by  a  sad  event  which 
had  occurred  during  our  passage  from  the 
equator. 

This  was  the  death  of  one  of  our  shipmates, 
who,  after  suffering  greatly  from  the  scurvy  — 
a  disease  which  is  sometimes  unavoidable  on 
shipboard  —  had  finally  died,  and  been  con- 
signed to  an  ocean  grave.  The  deceased,  dur- 
ing his  last  days,  had  fondly  cherished  the  hope 
that  he  mi<xht  live  to  reach  home,  that  he  mij^ht 
not  die  among  strangers,  and  be  cast  into  the 
deep  to  become  food  for  fishes,  but  that  his  last 
hours  might  be  cheered  by  the  presence  of  a 
beloved  circle  of  relatives,  and  his  remains  bo 
laid  in  consecrated  ground. 

The  knowledge  of  this  vainly  cherished  hope 
of  our  departed  shipmate,  added  greatly  to  our 
sorrow,  as  we  performed  the  sad  ofSco  of  en- 
folding his  inanimate  form  in  its  coarse  cere- 
ments, and  rendered  the  occasion  of  his  burial 
one  of  more  than  usual  solemnity. 


* 


* 


* 


* 


At  length  we  crossed  the  Gulf  Stream,  and, 
bracing  the  yards  sharp  up,  stood  well  to  the 
northward,  hoping  to  be  able  to  run  into  port 
before  the  wind. 


;il 


BY    SEA    AND   LAND. 


153 


; 


Inch 
the 


The  remainder  of  tlie  homcwarrl  pa«gap:e 
was  aoon  accomplished ;  and,  on  the  nineteenth 
of  June,  ISiiO,  the  welcome  cry  of  ^'  Land  ho!" 
thrilled  us  with  joy,  and  raised  our  spiritd  to 
the  highest  pitch  of  excitement. 

The  land  was  soon  visible  from  the  deck ; 
and  the  emotions  of  joy  and  gratitude  which 
filled  my  bosom,  as  I  recognized  the  blulf  called 
Gay  Head,  which  forms  the  western  extremity 
of  Martha's  Vineyard,  where  a  portion  of  my 
school  days  had  been  spent,  can  be  more  easily 
imagined  than  described. 

Shortly  after  sighting  the  land,  we  took  a 
pilot ;  and  with  a  fair  wind,  stood  up  the  bay 
under  full  sail.  One  after  another,  familiar  ob- 
jects on  shore  rose  into  view  ;  and,  as  we  ap- 
proached the  land,  sail  after  sail  was  clewed  up 
and  furled,  to  the  joyful  shouts  and  songs  of 
the  excited  crew.  At  length,  under  topsails 
alone,  we  entered  the  harbor  of  New  Bedford ; 
where  the  ship  was  immediately  surrounded  by 
a  fleet  of  boats,  bringing  friends  and  relatives, 
eager  to  greet  the  ocean  wanderers,  and  give 
them  a  cordial  welcome  home. 

At  this  time,  I  was  at  the  wheel ;  and,  as  1 
watched  the  approach  of  the  boats,  I  recognized 
among  the  foremost,  one  which  belonged  to  my 


154 


ARCTIC    ROVING8, 


Mni 


.  !■• 


t-U 


'I     ' 
I. 


father,  and  in  wliicli  I  had  taken  many  an  ad- 
venturous voyage  in  my  boyhood's  days.  I 
observed  two  men  in  the  atcrn  sheets,  and  my 
heart  beat  fast  in  joyful  antieipation,  as  I  fiin- 
cicd  that  I  recognized  in  one  of  them,  the  well 
known  form  of  my  father. 

In  a  few  moments  more,  the  boat  glided 
alongside  of  the  tihip  ;  her  painter  was  hastily 
made  fast  to  the  main  chains,  and  my  father, 
grasping  the  man-ropes,  sprang  up  the  side 
with  the  agility  of  a  boy,  in  his  eagerness  to 
greet  his  son,  who  "  had  been  dead,   but   was 


live  agam. 


>> 


He  had  not  recognized  me  as  he  approached 
the  ship  ;  for  four  years,  at  my  time  of  life, 
produce  a  wonderful  change  of  form  and  fea- 
ture ;  and,  notwithstanding  my  hardships,  I 
had  grown  both  tall  and  stout ;  but,  after  a 
brief  inquiry  as  to  my  whereabouts,  of  one  of 
the  officers,  he  hastened  aft ;  and  in  a  moment 
more,  the  now  happy  parent  and  his  long  ab- 
sent son  stood  face  to  face,  hand  grasping  hand 
in  affectionate  pressure,  and  the  eyes  of  both 
suffused  with  tears  of  joy,  while,  for  several 
moments,  neither  could  find  voice  to  speak 
words  of  salutation,  or  give  utterance  to  the 
emotions  which  filled  his  bosom.      I  pass  over 


BY    SEA   AND   LAND. 


155 


ad- 
I 

my 
fan- 
well 

lided 
istily 
tlicr, 

side 
3S    to 

was 


the  scene  which  ensued,  and  which  my  pen 
is  incapable  of  describing. 

The  wind  being  fair,  we  stood  up  the  harbor 
under  the  three  topsails  ;  and,  without  coming 
to  an  anchorage,  ran  alongside  the  wharf,  and 
moored  the  sh:p  at  once,  and  before  the  crew 
were  allowcl  to  go  ashore. 

Upon  lauding,  I  found  the  wharf  crowded 
with  people,  among  whom  were  many  of  my 
former  acquaintances  and  friends,  who  had  as- 
sembled to  greet  me,  knowing  that  I  was  ex- 
pected to  return  in  that  ship.  As  I  stepped 
a.-^hore,  cheer  after  cheer  went  up  from  the  as- 
sembled multitude ;  while  hundreds  crowded 
around  me,  eager  to  shake  hands  with  me, 
or  even  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  returned 
wanderer,  in  whose  adventures  they  had  taken 
such  a  lively  interest.  Without  boasting,  I 
may  say  that  I  doubt  if  I  lis  Royal  Highness, 
the  Prince  of  Wales,  during  his  late  visit  to 
this  country,  was  anywhere  received  with  more 
genuine  and  liearty  good  will,  not  to  say 
enthusiasm,  than  that  which  was  exhibited  to- 
ward me  upon  my  arrival  at  New  Bedford. 

As  soon  as  I  could  escape  from  the  crowd,  I 
jumped  into  a  hack,  in  company  with  my  father 
and  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Wood,  and  drove  to 


,      1 


n 


i  I 


it     J 


•^\ 


i .  ■' 


^1 


r|5 


156 


APwCTIC    ROVING S, 


the  house  of  the  hitter,  where  I  was  received 
with  joy  and  thanksgiving  by  my  svhole  circle 
of  relatives,  who  had  there  assemLled. 

On  tlie  following  day,  I  was  sent  for  by  the 
Editor  of  the  New  Bedford  Dailv  Stan(hird, 
who  desired  me  to  allow  him  to  publish  a  brief 
article  in  reference  to  my  adventures  in  Siberia, 
my  rescue  and  my  return  ;  and  a  brief  sketch 
of  my  adventures  was  accordingly  published  in 
the  Standard^  which  attracted  public  attention 
to  such  a  degree,  as  to  cause  it  to  be  copied  in 
all  the  leading  papers  in  Boston,  New  York, 
Philadelphia,  and  other  cities;  and  which, 
eventually,  led  to  the  request,  from  various 
quarters,  that  I  should  publish  a  full  and  com- 
plete narrative  of  my  sea  life,  and  residence  in 
Siberia. 

Shortly  after  my  return  home,  my  father  re- 
lated to  me  the  history  of  his  eftbrts  to  discover 
my  whereabouts,  and  effect  my  rescue,  if  living* 
upon  learning  that  I  had  been  left  upon  the 
coast  of  the  Okotsk  Sea,  and  which  is  compre- 
hended in  the  fifth  chapter  of  this  book  ;  togeth- 
er with  the  following  additional  information  in 
•egard  to  the  trial  of  Capt.  Yv'hitesidc. 

While    the    December  term  of  the  court,  at 
wliicli  the  trial  of  Capt.  Whiteside  had  been  ap- 


BY    Si: A    AND    LAND. 


157 


ceived 
circle 

y  the 

idard, 
l)ricf 

beria, 
sketch 
heel  in 

ention 
lied  in 

York, 
which, 
various 
1  com- 
nce  in 

[ler  re- 
iscover 
living* 
Dn  the 
)mpre- 
ogeth- 
:ion  in 

urt,  at 
en  ap- 


pointed, was  pending,  and  when  my  father,  al- 
though still  "  hopin;^  against  hope,"  had  begun 
to  despair  of  ever  again  beholding  nie,  or  even 
of  learning  what  had  boen  niv  fate,  he  unex- 
pectedly  received  the  letter  which  I  wrote  to 
him  upon  my  return  to  Honolulu  in  the  Daniel 
Wood,  and  also,  one  from  Mr.  Damon,  written 
at  the  same  time  and  place,  whicdi  gave  him  the 
joyful  assurance  that  I  still  lived,  and  should 
soon  return  to  mv  home. 

My  letter,  which  contained  a  full  account  of 
the  manner  in  which  I  had  been  treated  while 
onboard  the  Condor  and  the  abuses  to  which  I 
had  been  tlicre  subjected,  was  immediately  plac- 
ed by  my  father  in  possession  of  his  lawyer,  to 
be  used  as  evidence  in  the  suit. 

The  trial  was  then  held  ;  the  attorney  of 
Captain  Whiteside,  who  was  then  absent  at  sea, 
appearing  for  his  client ;  and  after  a  full  inves- 
tigation of  the  facts  in  the  case,  the  jury,  ad- 
mittuijx  mv  letter  as  leij^al  tcstimonv,  rendered 
a  verdict  against  Capt.  Whiteside,  of  three  hun- 
dred dollars  damages,  as  compensation  for  the 
time  which  I  had  been  compelled  to  lose  by 
leaving  the  ship. 

Thus,  not  only  had  Divine  Providence  per- 


i^i 


,;^:i   ! 


fl    ! 


158 


AaCTiC    ROVIXGS, 


mitted  me  to  return  in  safety  to  my  home  and 
friends  ;  but  I  had,  in  a  measure,  obtained  legal 
redress  for  my  wrongs.  Li  bringing  this  suit 
against  Ca])tain  Whiteside,  however,  my  father 
had  been  actuated  by  a  higher  motive  than  the 
desire  to  obtain  pecuniary  redress.  He  wished 
to  make  the  case  of  Captain  Whiteside  an  ex- 
ample to  convince  other  commanders,  who 
might  be  disposed  in  future,  to  tyrannize  over 
their  crews,  that  the  laws  of  America  will  pro- 
tect the  seamen  from  abuse,  or,  at  least,  aiFord 
them  compensation  for  tiieir  sufferings,  and  pun- 
ish the  tyrant  of  tlie  ouarter  deck. 

He  hoped  in  this  r  lanner,  to  perform  a  ser- 
vice to  his  felloYf  men ;  particularly  to  those 
"  wliD  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships;"  and  the 
publication  of  this  w^ork  has  been  undertaken, 
by  the  author,  partly  with  a  view  to  further  this 
desirable  end. 

I  wish  it  to  be  distinctly  understood  that  I 
cherisli  no  spirit  of  revenge  toward  Captain 
Whitesjdo,  nor  would  I  desire  to  injure  his  feel- 
ings or  reputation  i^^  any  manner  whatsoever  ; 
and  I  have  endeavored  to  make  this  work  a 
narrative  of  my  personal  adventures  alone,  with 
as  few  reflections  upon  the  conduct  and  actions 
of  others  as  possible. 


and 
legal 

suit 
utlier 
m  the 
dshed 
Q   ex- 

wlio 

over 
Ihpro- 
afFord 
dpun- 

a  eer- 
tliose 
nd  the 
L'taken, 
ler  this 

that  I 
Japtain 
[lis  feel- 
500  vcr  ; 
work  a 
le,  with 
actions 


BY    SEA    AA'D    LAND. 


1.'9 


The  paragraph  to  which  I  have  alluded,  as 
having  been  publislied  upon  my  return,  in  the 
New  Bedford  Standard,  was  extensively  copied 
and  created  so  much  interest  in  the  conununity 
as  to  induce  my  relatives  and  personal  friends, 
and  indeed,  manv  entire  strano-ers,  to  sufffrcst 
to  my  father  and  myself  the  publication  of  such 
a  book  as  this. 

Knowing  that  a  narrative  of  my  adventures 
would  interest  my  personal  friends,  and  that  it 
might  be  read  with  pleasure  by  other.s  ;  and 
being,  withal,  unable  to  labor  hard  for  r,  susten- 
ance, I  have  ventured  to  submit  this  little  vol- 
ume to  a  generous  public  ;  trusting  that  it  may 
prove  a  source  of  gratification  to  my  friends, 
of  interest  to  strangers,  of  benefit  to  all  whose 
home  is,  of  necessity,  upon  the  great  deep,  and 
larst,  but  not  least,  of  profit  to  myself. 

If  all,  or  any  of  tliese  ends  shall  have  been 
accomplished  by  the  publication  of  this  work, 
I  shall  feel  amply  repaid  for  the  time  and  labor 
I  have  expended  upon  it. 

And  now,  gentle  reader,  trusting  that  you 
will  scan  these  pages,  not  with  a  critics  eye, 
but  in  the  spirit  of  partial  friendship,  overlook- 
ing their  manifold  imperfections,  and  exagger- 


if  1*1 


m 


1 


'!  '    t 


it 


160 


ATICTIC  ROVINGS, 


ating  tlieir  merits,  if  any  such  there  be,  your 
sincere  friend  and  well  wisher,  THE  SAILOR 
BOY  OF  New  Bedford,  bids  you  farewell. 


THE   END. 


^oiir 

LOR 


APPENDIX. 


II?  ' 


1 1 


APPENDIX. 


Containing  a  copy  of  the  advertisement  inserted  m  tlie  New 
Bedford  Shipping  List,  by  Wm.  Hall,  of  that  city,  which 
eventually  led  to  the  rescue  of  his  son  from  exile;  together 
with  the  correspondence  between  Mr.  Hall  and  the  United 
States  Secretary  of  State,  the  American  Consul,  and 
Seamen's  Pastor  at  Honolulu,  and  others,  in  regard  to  the 
abandonment  of  his  son,  by  the  captain  of  the  whale  ship 
Condor,  on  the  shores  of  the  Okotsk  Sea. 


li' 


\' 


From  the  JVcw  Beiford  Hhipping  List. 
"INFORMATION  WANTEDI" 
.'  To  any  or  all  of  the  whalemen  or  merchantmen 
bound  to,  or  cruising  in  the  Okotsk  Sea  and  Shanter 
BaT  and  to  all  friends  of  humanity  in  that  part  of 
Zworld,  the  subscriber  would  most  earnestly  appeal 
tr^posible  assistance  in  regard  to  the  foUowtng 


case  :— 


163 


1^ 


■1^^ 

Vi 


t 


is 


W^ 


i:    i 


: 


,  - 


ll? 


1G4 


APPENDIX. 


"  The  subscriber,  being  generally  known  to  the  of- 
ficers of  the  New  Bedford  whaling  fleet,  does  hereby 
declare,  upon  the  authority  of  Samuel  H.  Whiteside, 
late  master  of  the  whale -ship  Condor,  of  Xew  Bed- 
ford, that  his  son,  Daniel  Weston  Hall,  together  with 
a  young  man  named  Elias  D.  Tolman,  alias  Albert 
Sherman,  also  of  Massachusetts,  were  left  by  said 
Whiteside,  upon  the  coast  of  Shanter  Bay,  on  the  Gth 
of  October,  1858  ;  since  which  time  no  farther  intelli- 
gence of  them  has  been  received  by  their  anxious 
friends. 

"  Any  information  in  regard  to  the  above  named 
boys,  will  be  thankfully  received  by  the  subscriber  ; 
any  assistance  or  protection  which  may  be  rendered 
them,  by  any  person  or  persons  whatsoever,  and  any 
counsel  or  aid,  whatever,  in  the  above  mentioned  case, 
ehall  be  rewarded  with  the  eternal  gratitude  of  an  af- 
flicted circle  of  relatives. 

"  The  said  Hall  is  now  seventeen  years  and  seven 
months  old,  five  feet  and  six  inches  in  height,  and 
stout  built,  having  black  eyes,  and  a  small  scar  upon 
his  forehead. 

WILLIAM  HALL, 

No.  129  Union  Street,  New  Bedford,  Mass. 

March  29,  1859. 


APrEXDIX. 


166 


Letter  to  the  United  States  Secretary  of  Slate. 


Hon.  Lewis  Cass,  Seadary  of  States 
Washington  City. 

Dear  Sir  : — Allow  me  to  represent  to  you,  as  the 
head  of  the  Department  of  State  for  the  United  States, 
that  my  son,  Daniel  W.  Hall,  of  New  Bedford,  aged 
now,  if  living,  about  eighteen  years,  sailed  from  this 
place  in  the  ship  Condor,  of  New  Bedford,  Samuel  H. 
Whiteside,  master,  in  August,  1856,  on  a  whaling 
voyage  to  the  north  Pacific.  After  a  very  successful 
cruise,  and  when  the  ship  was  full  of  oil  and  bone, 
and  nearly  ready  to  start  for  home,  two  of  her  boats 
were  overtaken  by  the  night,  at  a  distance  from  the 
ship,  and  their  crews  landed  upon  the  Siberian  coast 
for  shelter  during  the  night. 

When  morning  came,  my  son,  with  another  young 
man,  named  Albert  Sherman,  also  of  Massachusetts, 
were  missing  ;  the  boats  waited  a  short  time  and  then 
returned  to  the  ship,  which  soon  set  sail  for  the  Sand- 
wich Islands.  Since  that  time,  nothing  has  been 
heard  of  either  of  these  boys ;  and  as  winter  was  com- 
ing on,  their  friends  have  great  cause  to  fear  that 
they  perished  from  hunger  and  cold,  unless  picked  up 
by  some  of  the  natives  or  Eussian  trappers. 

And  now,  Mr.  Secretary,  having  placed  these  facts 
before  you,  the  subscriber,  as  parent  of  the  boy  Hall, 
most  humbly  prays,  that  you  will  use  such  means  as 
you  have  at  your  very  extensive  command,  througli 


' 


I* 


iil 


!  !' 


;  i:l 


166 


APPENDIX. 


,:   I 


H 


1-i 


ministers  and  consuls  in  Eussia,  China,  Japan  and 
the  Sandwich  Islands,  to  learn,  if  possible,  the  where- 
abouts of  the  boys  if  living,  or,  if  dead,  the  place, 
time  and  probable  cause  of  their  decease. 

The  subscriber  also  prays  that  your  honor  may  be 
pleased  to  give  this  your  immediate  attention. 
Your  humble  servant, 

WILLIAM  HALL. 
New  Bedford,  April  2,  1853. 


M 


Letter  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  from  Hon.  A  S.  Cmh- 
man,  qf  J^ew    Bedford. 

Hon.  Lewis  Cass,  Secretary  of  State, 
Washington  City. 

Sir  : — Allow  me  to  say  to  you  that  I  have  seen  the 
letter  written  by  Mr.  Hall  that  I  know  something 
of  the  case  in  question,  r.nd  that  I  most  cheerfully 
concur  in  the  subject  of  his  letter  to  you ;  hoping 
that  you  will  hear  his  prayer  in  his  distressed  condi- 
tion. 

Mr.  Hall  is  one  of  our  most  respected  citizens,  and 
has  the  hearty  sympathy  of  our  entire  community ; 
therefore,  I  can  with  propriety,  recommend  him  to 
your  notice.     Your  obedient  servant, 

A.  S.  CUSHMAN, 
United  States  Commissioner. 
New  Bedford,  April  2,  1859. 


1 


APPENDIX. 


167 


and 
heve- 
)lace, 

ly  be 


LL. 


Cu9h- 


een  the 
nething 
eerfully 
hoping 
I  condi- 

?ng,  and 

mnnity  ; 

him  to 

ioner. 


Letter  from  the  United  States    Secretary  of  State  to  Mr. 

Hall. 

Department  of  State, 

Washington,  April  7,  1859. 
DearSie: — Your  communication  of  the  2d  inst., 
and  also  two  letters  from  Mr.  A.  S.  Cushman  and  Mr. 
A.  H.  Howland,  respecting  the  abandonment  of  your 
sou  and  Albert  Sherman,  on  the  shores  of  the  Okotsk 
Sea,  have  been  received. 

Agreeably  to  your  rec[uest,  instructions  have  been 
sent  to  the  United  States  Consuls  at  Hong-Kong, 
Shanghai,  Sidney,  Mauritius,  Hilo,  Labinia,  and  Ho- 
nolulu, directing  them  to  make  inquiries  concerning 
these  young  men,  and  to  communicate  any  informa- 
tion which  they  may  obtain  to  this  Department. 
Your  obedient  servant, 

JOEN  APPLETON, 
Assistant  Secretary, 
Wm,  Hall,  Esq.,  New  Bedford,  Mass. 


Letter  from  Rev.  S.    C-  Damon^  »eamen*s  pador  at  Hono- 
lulu. 

Eonolulu,  July  26,  1859. 
Dear  Sir  : — Your  letter  of  the  2d  now  lies  before 
me.  In  reply  let  me  say,  that  I  am  acquainted  with 
all  the  facts  in  regard  to  the  ship  Condor,  and  her 
being  condemned  at  Honolulu.  I  had  considerable  to 
do  with  the  crew,  but  I   do  not  remember  to  have 


I' 


i. 


\ 

i 

:       ^ 

Y 

iM 

1^1 

IP"' 

J; 

168 


APPENDIX. 


heard  thora   speak  of  your  sons  being  left  in  the 
Oko+sk  Sea. 

As  you  have  doubtless,  ero  this,  hcaid  the  particu- 
lars from  Captain  Whiteside,  I  hope  your  anxious 
mind  has  been  relieved.  At  present,  I  know  not  if 
any  of  the  crew  are  in  Honolulu,  but  I  will  make  in- 
quiries when  the  ships  return  from  sea.  You  know 
that  none  of  these  ships  will  bo  reported  until  Sep- 
tember or  October.  In  the  meantime,  I  shall  be  gliid 
to  hear  from  you  again,  unless  your  mind  has  bceu 
put  at  rest  by  the  captain's  statcmento  In  conclusion, 
let  me  say,  that  the  condemnation  of  the  Condor  was 
a  most  unfortunate  affair  fo.-  the  crow.  They  were 
paid  off  here,  at  Honolulu  prices,  and  obtained  orders 
which  were  sold  back  to  the  agent  at  a  low  figure.  I 
suppose  all  is  right,  but  still  I  could  not  but  look  on 
and  feel  sad,  for  this  was  one  of  the  best  crews  that 
ever  came  into  Honolulu.     Yours  truly, 

SAxMUEL  0.  DAMON. 


APPENDIX. 


1G9 


n  tLe 


brticu- 
axious 
not  if 
ike  in- 
know 
I   Sep- 
dQ  glvid 
s  been 
fusion, 
lor  waa 
y  were 
L  orders 
ure.     I 
look  on 
i;73  tliat 

MON. 


Second  Letter  from  the  Siecretnry  qf  State. 

Department  of  State, 
Wa-shiiic/lon,  December  20,  185;). 

William  Hall,  Esq., 

New  Bfdford  Mass. 

Sir: — Referring  to  the  coTniniinication  of  the  7th 
of  April  last,  addressed  to  you,  in  reply  to  your  let- 
ter of  the  2d  of  the  same  month,  respect ii:.^  your  son» 
who  is  supposed  to  have  been  abandoned  on  the  shores 
of  the  Okotsk  Sea,  I  have  now  to  transmit,  for  your 
information,  a  copy  of  a  despatch,  (No.  1 7,)  received 
from  the  United  States  Consul  at  Honolulu,  in  reply 
to  the  instructions  of  the  Department  on  the  subject. 

I  regret  to  inform  you  that  the  other  United  States 
Consuls  to  whom  similar  instructions  were  sent,  have 
been  unable  to  furnish  any  information  concerning 
your  son. 

I  am  sir,  your  obedient  serva^"'., 

JOHN  APPLETON,  Assistant  Secretary. 


I 


■t 


.ij 


170 


APPENDIX. 


JDetpatch  from  the  V.  S.  Consul  at  Honolulu*     ^o.  17, 

Consulate  op  the  U.  8.  at 
EonolulUy   S,   /.,   October   15,   1859. 

Sir: — Your  letter  of  inquiry,  under  date  of  April 
1,  1859,  in  relation  to  the  fate  of  two  young  men,  viz., 
Daniel  W.  Hall  and  Albert  Sherman,  of  Massachu- 
setts, who  sailed  from  New  Bedford  in  August,  1858, 
on  a  whaling  voyage,  &c.,  in  the  ship  "Condor," 
Samuel  H.  Whiteside,  master,  and  who  are  reported 
to  have  been  left  on  the  shore  of  the  Okotsk,  &o.,  wag 
received ;  and  in  answer  thereto,  I  can  only  at  pres- 
ent  say,  that  early  last  spring,  and  long  before  the 
receipt  of  your  despatch,  the  ship  "Condor''  was 
condemned  and  sold  in  this  port,  consequently,  the 
crew  were  discharged,  and  some  of  them  shipped 
again  to  return  home,  while  others  of  them  shipped  in 
various  vessels  for  another  whaling  expedition  ;  and 
that  immediately  after  condemnation  and  sale  of  the 
*•  Condor,"  Capt.  Whiteside  returned  to  New  Bed- 
ford by  way  of  San  Francisco,  since  which  time  I 
have  not  seen  any  of  the  officers  or  crew  of  said 
vessel,  nor  have  I  been  able  to  obtain  the  least 
information  on  the  subject. 

No  information  touching  the  matter,  was  communi- 
cated to  me,  or  to  any  other  person,  as  I  can  learn, 
while  the  crew  were  in  this  port.  Some  of  the  sea- 
meu  ^vho  shipped  on  a  whaling  voyage,  will,  undoubt- 


AITENDIX, 


171 


edly,  be  in  this  port  again  some  time  during  the  fall 
or  winter,  and  any  information  I  can  obtain  from 
them  on  the  subject,  1  will,  at  once,  communicate  to 
you.     Most  rcBpectfuUy, 

ABXER  PRA.TT,  U.  S.  Consul 

Hon.  John  Appleton, 
Assistant  Secretary  oj  State,  Washington. 


>» 


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KilA 


V 


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38  and  40  CoruhilL  Boston. 


A  BOOK  FOS  EVERT  HOME. 


HESPER;    THE    HOME    SPIRIT. 

A  Simple  Story  of  Household  Labor  and  Love. 


BY  MISS  ELIZABETH  DOTEN. 


R. 


■  the 


This  work,  from  the  pen  of  ^lii^'i  Doten,  is  a  Home 
hook  for  the  people  and  their  children, — it  gives  the 
simple  history  of  an  individual  experience,  illustrating 
throughout,  the  all  prevailing  power  of  the  "  Charity 
that  never  faiieth."  Aside  from  any  exaggerated  ro- 
mance, or  "  incidents  of  thriding  interest,"  it  presents 
life  in  the  ordinary  household  phase  with  which  most 
minds  are  familiar. 

The  work  is  manufactured  in  the  hest  style.  1 
vol.,  16mo.,  256  pages,  uniform  with  "  Home  Life  " 
and  "  Marion  Lester." 

PRICE  76  CENTS. 

On  receipt  of  this  price  we  will  send  the  work  ly 
mail,  with  postage  prepaid. 

ABEL  TOMPKINS, 

38  and  40  CornhUl,  Boston. 


1  ( 


A  BEAUTIFUL  STOHY  OP  WS3TERN  LIFE. 


i  I  ■-  '■ 


■,  ;' 


; 


THE  PET  OF  THE  SSTTLEZ^IENT. 

A  STOliY  OF  PIIAIKIE  LAND. 
BY    MRS.    CAROLINE    A      SOULE, 


AUTHOR     OP      "  HOME     LIFE." 


16mo Price  75  cents. 

This  story  of  Mrs.  Soule  is  so  well  known  to  our 
readers,  that  any  notice  from  us  would  he  superfluous. 
We  take  up  the  volume  with  s  unewhat  the  fcclinoj, 
we  imagine,  that  our  children  look  upon  a  completed 
picture  formed  by  pretty  pictui-ed  blocks.  Each  chap- 
ter has  been  a  story  by  itself  full  of  incident,  c*nd 
placed  in  these  neat  covers  and  woven  together,  we 
have  now  a  complete  history  of  western  life.  AVe 
have  been  told  that  woman  dcgeneraies  in  western 
homes,  but  the  author  of  the  Pet  of  the  Settlemeat,  in 
the  capacity  of  wife,  mother,  housekotipor,  and  writer, 
makes  us  doubt  the  assertion,  and  as  we  are  inclined 
to  the  bright  rather  than  the  dark  side  of  a  picture, 
we  shall  look  upon  her  as  the  type  of  western  woman- 
hood. 

A  new  chapter,  "The  Maniac,"  is  added  to  the 
story  since  its  publication  in  our  pages,  and  we  hope 
next  month  to  give  it  to  our  readers. — Editor  Ladies' 
Repository. 


On  receipt  of  the  price,  as  above,  we  will  send  the 
book  mv  mail  and  pay -postage. 


E. 


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